Tuesday, April 28, 2026 - President William Ruto has apologized to Nigerians over his recent remarks about their English accent, which sparked widespread backlash across Africa.
Speaking at the Mining Investment Conference and Expo in
Nairobi on Tuesday, April 28th, Ruto clarified that his comments had
been misrepresented and stressed that all Africans speak good English in their
own unique ways.
His apology comes after criticism over remarks he made in
Italy while addressing Kenyans abroad, where he praised Kenya’s education
system for producing “the best English in the world” before joking: “If you listen
to a Nigerian speaking, you don’t know what they are saying, you need a
translator.”
The comments quickly went viral, drawing sharp reactions
from Nigerians and other Africans who accused him of reinforcing colonial‑era
notions that link English proficiency to intelligence.
Ruto has sought to ease tensions by extending an olive
branch.
Referring to Nigerians as “my in‑laws” (his daughter is
married to a Nigerian citizen), he asked a Government official present to
convey his regards to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian people.
“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,” Ruto said, drawing laughter from the audience.
He added: “I was captured speaking to my fellow citizens
somewhere, and somebody decided it should be public. But they also
misrepresented the facts.”
President Ruto to Nigerians: I was misquoted. All of us in Africa speak good English. pic.twitter.com/uydt1SaNKd
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) April 28, 2026
The Kenyan DAILY POST
){kind=link}
0 Comments