William Ruto has moved to defuse a diplomatic row after backlash over remarks he made about Nigerian-accented English, insisting his comments were misunderstood.
Speaking at a mining conference in Nairobi attended by Henry Dele Alake, Ruto said his earlier remarks had been taken out of context and were never meant to offend Nigerians.
“The fact is that I was talking about how we in Africa speak very good English, all of us,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience. He added that his comments were intended as a comparison of different accents rather than a criticism.
The controversy began after Ruto told Kenyans living in Italy that Nigerian English could be difficult to understand, sparking widespread criticism online and fuelling a light-hearted but heated exchange between Kenyans and Nigerians on social media.
At the conference, Nigeria’s minister jokingly addressed the issue, saying he had been sent to assure Ruto that Nigerians “speak good English,” prompting a humorous response from the Kenyan leader.
Ruto also struck a conciliatory tone, referring to Nigerians as his “in-laws” — noting that his daughter is married to a Nigerian — and asked Alake to pass on his greetings to Bola Tinubu.
The exchange highlighted both the sensitivities and shared cultural ties between the two countries. While Kenya and Nigeria both use English as an official language, their accents differ significantly, shaped by the influence of local languages and linguistic traditions.
Despite the online backlash, the incident ultimately evolved into a moment of diplomatic humour, underscoring the close — if occasionally competitive — relationship between Africa’s two major economies.
