Nigerians Are My In-Laws, ‘English’ Proficiency Remarks Misrepresented – Kenya’s President Ruto

Kenyan President William Ruto has clarified comments he made about English proficiency in Nigeria, saying they were taken out of context.

Ruto addressed the controversy while speaking at the Mining Investment Conference and Expo in Nairobi, where he also sent a message to President Bola Tinubu through a Nigerian minister in attendance.

The controversy, which gained traction across social media, stemmed from a viral video in which Ruto appeared to compare English proficiency between Kenya and Nigeria, triggering criticism from many Nigerians who viewed the comments as disrespectful.

Addressing the issue during the Mining Investment Conference and Expo in Nairobi, Ruto extended greetings to President Bola Tinubu, while attempting to clarify his earlier statement.

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“Please pass my regards, Minister, to President Tinubu, my friend, and to the great people of Nigeria, who are my in-laws, and do so in good English”, he said.

The Kenyan leader explained that the remarks originated from what he described as a private conversation with fellow citizens, which was later leaked and circulated online in a distorted form.

“And, you know, I was captured, I was speaking to my fellow citizens somewhere, and somebody, it was supposed to be a private conversation, but somebody decided that it should be public. But they also misrepresented the facts,” he stated.

In the earlier clip that sparked the outrage, seen and reported by TVC News, Ruto had praised Kenya’s education system, saying: “Our education is good. Our English is good. We speak some of the best English in the world. If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don’t know what they are saying. You need a translator even when they are speaking English,” drawing laughter from his audience.

The remarks were widely interpreted as a jab at Nigerian speech patterns, including the use of local accents and Pidgin English, prompting strong reactions online.

In a fresh response posted on Tuesday, the Kenyan president reframed his comments as part of a broader observation about English usage across Africa, rather than a slight on Nigerians.

“The facts are that I was talking about how we in Africa speak very good English, all of us. In fact, in some countries like Nigeria, if you don’t speak excellent English, like the one we speak in Kenya, you may need a translator, you know, for you to understand the excellent English of Nigeria.

“So that was the comparison, but somebody decided to take it out of context. But I think it is as well that we can have this conversation,” he added.

Ruto also struck a conciliatory tone, expressing hope that the episode would not affect relations between both countries.

“My in-laws, I hope there will be no consequences for whatever was done,” he said.