Reason for Larry Madowo’s absence from Tanzania’s election, and the story he couldn’t tell

CNN journalist Larry Madowo has opened up about why he was absent from Tanzania during the country’s general election, citing restrictive laws that make it nearly impossible for foreign journalists to operate freely.

In a video shared on social media, Madowo said he was currently in Las Vegas but had planned to cover the Tanzanian election until he realised that the government rarely grants accreditation to foreign correspondents who engage in independent reporting.

“The simple reason is that Tanzania does not like independent critical reporting,” Madowo explained.