Ruto Breaks Silence After Uproar Over His Comments Comparing Nigeria’s English to Kenya’s

President William Ruto has addressed the controversy surrounding his recent remarks about Nigerian English, clarifying that his comments were taken out of context after they went viral and sparked criticism across Africa.

The President spoke on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, while attending the Mining Investment and Expo Conference in Nairobi, where he attempted to explain the remarks that had earlier drawn backlash online, particularly from Nigerians and other Africans.

The controversy began after President Ruto made comments during a meeting with Kenyans living in Italy, in which he compared the English spoken in Kenya and Nigeria.

In the earlier remarks, Ruto praised Kenya’s education system and English proficiency, stating that Nigerians sometimes required translation when speaking English.

“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,” he said, prompting laughter from the audience.

The comments quickly circulated online, triggering criticism from social media users who accused the President of belittling Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation.

Among those who reacted was Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who emphasized that English should not be used as a measure of intelligence or national capability.

“English is a colonial language, not a measure of intelligence, capability, or national progress,” he wrote.

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Ruto Says Comments Were Taken Out of Context

While speaking at the Nairobi conference, President Ruto sought to clarify his earlier remarks, saying the comments were meant to highlight Africa’s strong command of English and were never intended to demean Nigeria.

“Pass my greetings to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the great people of Nigeria, my in-laws, and do so in good English,” Ruto said.

He explained that the remarks were made during what he described as a private conversation that later became public.

“You know, I was captured. I was speaking to my fellow citizens somewhere. It was supposed to be a private conversation and someone decided that it should be published, but they also misrepresented the facts,” he said.

President Appeals for Understanding From Nigerians

President Ruto further clarified that his comments were part of a broader discussion about English proficiency across African countries.

“The facts are that I was talking about how we in Africa speak very good English. All of us, in fact, some countries like Nigeria, if you don’t speak excellent English like the one we speak in Kenya, you may need a translator,” he explained, drawing laughter from the audience.

He added that the remarks were meant as a comparison and not an insult, noting that the context had been altered when the clip circulated online.

“For you to understand excellent English of Nigeria, so that was the comparison that somebody decided to take out of context,” he said.

Ruto also expressed hope that the issue would not strain relations between Kenya and Nigeria.

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

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Linguistic Differences Rooted in Diverse African Languages

Both Kenya and Nigeria, former British colonies, use English as an official language.

However, each country has developed unique accents influenced by indigenous languages.

Nigeria has more than 500 languages that shape its pronunciation and rhythm, while Kenya’s blend of Bantu, Nilotic, and Cushitic languages contributes to its distinct English accent.

These linguistic differences have long been recognized as part of Africa’s cultural diversity rather than indicators of language proficiency.

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President William Ruto and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu shaking hands at a past meeting. PHOTO/PCS