Newsmax journalist Rob Finnerty/HANDOUTNewsmax journalist Rob Finnerty has apologised to Kenyans following a backlash over his remarks comparing New York City’s condition to Nairobi.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 13, Finnerty acknowledged that he had made a mistake and expressed regret over comments that sparked outrage among Kenyans on social media.
“I want to offer an apology to the people of Nairobi, Kenya. The passion you have for your city and homeland is amazing… We all make mistakes. I misspoke, and I am sorry to anyone I have offended,” Finnerty said.
The controversy stemmed from a Newsmax segment in which the journalist discussed immigration, street conditions and delivery workers in New York City, arguing that immigration from developing countries under former US President Joe Biden had changed the character of some American cities.
“They move to blue sanctuary cities, and the cities then start to look more like Nairobi than New York City,” Finnerty said during the broadcast.
He further claimed that the media was failing to adequately cover the changes he was describing, drawing comparisons between developments in New York and those in the United Kingdom and France.
The segment featured interviews with individuals who identified themselves as coming from countries including Guatemala, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mexico and Guinea.
None of the individuals featured in the supplied clip identified themselves as being from Kenya or Nairobi, a point that became central to the backlash against Finnerty’s remarks.
Kenyans took to social media to condemn the comparison, with some flooding Newsmax and Finnerty’s social media pages with demands for an apology.
Some questioned why Nairobi had been singled out in a discussion about immigration and urban conditions in the United States, particularly when none of the people interviewed in the segment identified Kenya as their country of origin.
The remarks triggered renewed debate over how African cities are portrayed in international media, with critics arguing that comparisons often reinforce negative stereotypes about the continent.
Finnerty’s apology comes amid growing criticism from Kenyans who have challenged foreign media outlets and commentators over what they consider dismissive or inaccurate portrayals of Nairobi and the country at large.
