Nairobi

A viral exchange between CNN journalist Larry Madowo and Kibra MP Peter Orero has reignited debate over political accountability and misuse of state vehicles in Kenya.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Madowo questioned whether the lawmaker should also face scrutiny after his official driver, George Oduor, was fined KSh100,000 for reckless driving.

“Did he do that without permission from his boss Peter Orero, who was next to him?” Madowo wrote. “The MP was the first to dare me to take it to Ruto, not the driver.”

His remarks, shared widely across social media, prompted a wave of reactions — many questioning why the MP had escaped responsibility if he was indeed in the car at the time.

The Viral Video

The controversy began with a video recorded by Madowo himself, showing a Toyota Prado with government plates allegedly assigned to MP Orero. The vehicle was captured overtaking dangerously and obstructing traffic along a busy Nairobi road.

The clip spread rapidly online, fuelling anger over the reckless behaviour of public officials and the misuse of government vehicles.

Authorities later confirmed that the driver, Oduor, had been arrested and charged.

The Court’s Verdict

On October 13, 2025, Oduor appeared before the Milimani Law Courts, where he pleaded guilty to obstruction and dangerous overtaking. He was fined KSh100,000.

However, the court did not establish whether the MP was in the vehicle or had instructed the driver — a gap in the case that has since fuelled widespread debate.

Kenyans Weigh In

Following Madowo’s post, Kenyans took to social media to call for greater accountability from elected leaders, arguing that aides often take the fall for their bosses’ misdeeds.

Some praised Madowo for using his platform to highlight impunity, while others urged the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate whether the MP should face charges.

“This isn’t about the driver alone. It’s about how power is exercised — and abused — on our roads,” wrote one user on X.

A Wider Issue

The incident adds to growing frustration over road indiscipline and abuse of official privileges by public officers.

It also underscores how digital platforms now play a central role in holding the powerful to account, with viral videos and citizen reporting exposing behaviour that might once have gone unchecked.

For Madowo, whose journalism often intersects with civic activism, the episode was less about a single traffic violation and more about what it symbolises — a test of how far Kenya’s culture of accountability has really come.