President Ruto Mends Fences with Nigerian 'In-Laws' After English Comments

Kenyan President William Ruto has moved to mend relations with Nigeria following a period of diplomatic friction over linguistic comments.

Speaking at the Mining Investment Conference and Expo in Nairobi, the President addressed the recent controversy surrounding his remarks on the English proficiency of Nigerians.

He used the platform to clarify his stance, referring to the people of Nigeria as his "in-laws." Ruto requested that his regards be passed to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian public.

“Please pass my regards ministerto President Tinubu my friend and to the great people of Nigeria who are my in-laws and do so in good English,” he told a Nigerian minister present.

A "Misrepresented" Conversation

The President claimed that his previous comments, which sparked a social media storm, were taken out of context. He explained that he was originally speaking to fellow citizens in what was intended to be a private conversation.

“I was captured speaking to my fellow citizens somewhere. It was supposed to be a private conversation but somebody decided that it should be public but they also misrepresented the facts,” Ruto said.

According to Ruto, his intent was to celebrate how well Africans across the continent speak the English language. He argued that the facts were misrepresented by those who made the conversation public.

“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,” he clarified.

The Initial Uproar

The controversy began almost a week ago when Ruto addressed the Kenyan diaspora in Italy. During that meeting, he suggested that Nigerian-accented English was difficult to understand and required a translator. He boasted that Kenyans spoke some of the "best English in the world."

“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.”

These remarks triggered an immediate backlash across the continent. Critics on social media accused the Kenyan leader of demeaning a fellow African nation.

Nigerian figures, including former senator Shehu Sani, pointed to Nigeria’s literary heritage, noting it is the home of Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka and authors like Chinua Achebe.

President Ruto expressed hope that his "in-laws" would see the humour in his comparison and that there would be no lasting fallout.

"I think it is as well that we can have this conversation," Ruto told the conference. He concluded by stating he hoped there would be "no consequences" for the misunderstanding.