CNN correspondent Larry Madowo on Wednesday, May 27, accepted his Human Rights Defender of the Year award in recognition of his journalistic work.
The award was presented by the Working Group of Human Rights Defenders, alongside Defenders Coalition and the Human Rights Defenders Awards Jury.
In an update, Madowo announced that he would donate the accompanying cash prize to support a young journalist in Kenya focused on community issues.
"It comes with $1,000 cash prize (Ksh129,000). I will donate it to a young journalist anywhere in Kenya who highlights issues in the community. Please nominate yourself or someone in the comments," he wrote.
Madowo also reflected on what the recognition meant to him, saying he views journalism as public service rather than activism.
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"I don’t consider myself a human rights defender, but I see my work as service to the people. They literally gave me my flowers, and it meant a lot to get it from my own people," he added.
In a statement, the Working Group of Human Rights Defenders praised Madowo for his courage and commitment to impactful journalism.
"Today, the Co-chairs of the Working Group of Human Rights Defenders (HRD), Defenders Coalition, and the HRD Awards Jury are pleased to have presented the Human Rights Defenders of the Year Award to Larry Madowo," the statement read.
The organization further noted that Madowo had first been recognized earlier this year for his role in advancing accountability and justice through journalism.
"Larry was recognized by the Working Group of Human Rights Defenders HRD in March 2026 in recognition of his journalistic excellence and courage in advancing democracy, the rule of law, and justice for victims of state repression in Africa and beyond," the statement added.
Elsewhere, this comes months after Madowo issued a warning to Kenyans over a fraudulent investment scheme using his name and image to deceive unsuspecting victims.
In an update on Monday, October 20, 2025, Madowo distanced himself from a circulating online advert claiming he had endorsed a cryptocurrency platform.
The fake promotion, styled to appear like a news article, falsely suggested that Madowo had introduced a new project that could help people earn up to Ksh200,000 per month.
"This is a scam. Don’t lose your money. I’m not involved with Crypto Adiktos or any other ‘investment’ schemes," he cautioned in his post.
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