Major Role Larry Madowo Played in Comedian MC Jessy's Success

In life, a small kind act may go a long way to setting you up for life, putting you in a path to success, or simply exposing you to what will bring you success.

In this segment, Nairobileo.co.ke takes a look at the career of Jasper Muthomi popularly known as MC Jessy and how a kind gesture from journalist Larry Madowo transformed his life.

During an interview with a local daily in 2020, MC Jessy revealed Madowo's hand in his career success.

File image of comedian MC Jessy. |Photo| Courtesy|

The Churchill Show comedian was an intern at Standard Media Group (SMG) when Madowo was a business journalist at the Mombasa Road-based media house. At the time, he earned a monthly spend of Ksh5,000.

The now CNN journalist was tasked with training the interns and helping them to understand how a newsroom operates.

"As an intern, not many people talk to you, but Larry Madowo had been tasked with training me. He was the only one who talked to me," MC Jessy stated.

The comedian lacked confidence and had trouble introducing or expressing himself in English.

"Madowo used to speak so much English when training us. I couldn't bring myself to talk much in the newsroom because I did not understand English well. I also had a very thick Meru accent," he narrated.

He would sit with Madowo often and learn about the trade and gained confidence with time. He also sharpened his communication skills and began interacting with other top media personalities in the country.

"Due to my new confidence, I started hanging out with some of the greatest journalists at the time including John Allan Namu, Janet Mbugua, and Moha Jicho Pevu, where I further developed my speaking skills and confidence," he narrated.

MC Jessy later left KTN and decided to take a stab at comedy, but the journey to his current fame did not come easy.

"Those were the lowest moments of my life. I had lost my chance to become a news anchor, and comedy was not working for me. I was making jokes but people did not find them funny. I was getting out of every comedy audition a disappointed man," he recounted.

With his confidence levels now high, and a good communicator, MC Jessy landed an unexpected encounter with Daniel Ndambuki alias Churchill.

"I had given up, and I decided to go to the washrooms just to wash my hands one day. It was then that Churchill came in. I had worked with him before in the In Tru Kalas show where I was an extra, but he could not remember me. I had looked forward to meeting him for a long time," he revealed.

A conversation ensued between the two and MC Jessy ended up hosting the Churchill Raw show which aired on NTV on Thursdays.