Larry Madowo is leaving the BBC to take up a new position with CNN as the network’s Nairobi-based correspondent.
The announcement was made by Deborah Rayner, Senior Vice President of International Newsgathering and Managing Editor, Europe, Middle East and Africa, for CNN International on Thursday.
Madowo most recently served as the BBC’s North America Correspondent in Washington.
He also was a fill-in anchor for the network’s flagship BBC World News America show that airs globally and on PBS stations across the United States.
This assignment marks a return to Nairobi for the Kenyan-born Madowo, who started his broadcasting career at Kenya Television Network at the age of 20.
“From enterprise reporting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region to investigations into oil drilling in Namibia’s Kavango Basin, via a range of cultural and business stories across dedicated programming, Africa has never been more visible on CNN’s multiple platforms,” Rayner said in a statement.
“Larry is an experienced journalist whose expertise across politics, business, entertainment and hard news stories will play into our diverse coverage of East Africa and beyond.”
Madowo said he enjoyed reporting from the US and around the world, but it's a real privilege to return to covering Africa at such a critical time in Kenya and around the continent.
"I have long admired CNN International's award-winning coverage, and I'm honoured to be joining such a talented team. I look forward to sharing the full spectrum of life in one of the most dynamic parts of the world with CNN's global audiences," he said.
Madowo previously served as the BBC Africa Business Editor.
Before joining the BBC he worked for NTV Kenya and CNBC Africa, where he anchored the business channel’s daily market shows Open Exchange, Power Lunch and Closing Bell in Johannesburg.
Madowo has a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Daystar University in Kenya as well as a master’s in Business and Economics Journalism from Columbia University in New York, where he was a Knight-Bagehot Fellow.
