CNN correspondent Larry Madowo has once again placed himself at the center of an East African political storm after unveiling a hard-hitting investigative documentary alleging that Tanzanian security officers executed unarmed civilians.

The report, which stitched together weeks of cross-checked raw citizen footage and eyewitness testimonies, aired to a global audience, immediately intensifying scrutiny on Dar es Salaam.

The documentary surfaced at a critical time when the Tanzanian government was actively tightening its grip on the information flow, including shutting down media outlets and restricting internet access moves widely interpreted as an attempt to contain the escalating negative narrative.

Rather than being deterred, Madowo actively leveraged social media platforms, publicly urging Tanzanian citizens, journalists and rights defenders to share verified videos from the scenes of violence. The overwhelming response enabled CNN to compile a chilling visual record of alleged extrajudicial killings.

However, the powerful exposé came at a high price for the journalist.

Once the documentary hit international screens, the Tanzanian government officially dismissed the findings and issued a public criticism of Madowo. This official pushback was quickly accompanied by a wave of vicious online hostility from pro-government accounts and coordinated trolls.

While many Tanzanians hailed Madowo for his bravery with some even adopting his photo as their social media profile picture in a show of solidarity, another faction launched vicious and deeply personal attacks.

Madowo publicly shared some of the abusive messages he received, wryly joking in one caption: “Majirani wametumwa kunisalimia.”

One threat stood out for its chilling and long-term tone warning that the sender would fight him and track him down even after 29 years, accusing the journalist of tarnishing Tanzania’s national image.

The escalating intimidation highlights the extreme peril journalists face when exposing state-linked abuses in the region.

With this exposé, Madowo has again forced a difficult, uncomfortable conversation onto the global stage, while bearing the full weight of the fierce backlash that follows those who dare to reveal such sensitive truths.