CNN international correspondent Larry Madowo has dropped a bombshell, accusing a Nairobi politician of paying hired goons an extra Ksh100,000 if they attack him.

Speaking on Monday at the height of the Saba Saba demonstrations, Madowo claimed that the goons had admitted to the agreement on video, as they had not been fully compensated during the previous protests.

Undeterred, the journalist clarified that that was not the reason why he missed the protests, but he had prior arrangements to be in Nigeria as an international correspondent.

"We will not be intimidated. Journalism is not a crime," Madowo declared.

CNN Journalist Larry Madowo covering the anti-government protests in Kenya on June 26 2024

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Larry Madowo

Besides the plans to attack him, beat him up and smash his equipment, he also highlighted the government accounts on social media and another lawmaker who has called for his arrest for supposedly inciting violence.

Although he did not mention him by name, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma on Sunday called for the arrest of Madowo and "his ilk" ahead of the Saba Saba protests.

In a now-deleted post, Kaluma accused the journalist, alongside other Kenyan international journalists, of inciting violence during the protests.

However, the lawmaker is far from the only politician to call out the former NTV journalist for reportedly fuelling the protests.

Speaking after the June 25 protests, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen accused the Kenyan journalists serving as correspondents for international media of being careless when reporting on Kenyan events.

Murkomen claimed that they did not practice the same caution they used when reporting on Western countries because they only received praise by airing the negative aspects of Kenya.

"They are very careful when reporting in their countries, but when they come to our country, they report it as it is, and some of the reporters are so happy. They think they have achieved because they are being cheered in Western countries," he stated.

"They think that it is very nice to come and report on their countries negatively, and that is the issue. This is the question we should be asking ourselves. The question of closing or not closing depends on the circumstances. You have to weigh the national interests and individual interests of media houses."

Besides Madowo, BBC's Ian Wafula, Al Jazeera's Catherine Soi,  and DW's Edith Kimani were all Kenyans covering the protests for the prominent media houses.

CNN journalist Larry Madowo and BBC journalist Ian Wafula reporting on the June 25, 2025 Protests.

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Larry Madowo/Ian Wafula