KENYAN PRESIDENT SPARKS DEBATE OVER ENGLISH PROFICIENCY REMARKS ABOUT NIGERIANS
Read Time:2 Minute, 14 Second
By: Balogun Ibrahim
Kenyan President William Ruto has defended Kenya’s education system and the country’s command of English, while also making remarks that appeared to contrast it with how Nigerians speak the language.
Ruto made the comments during a meeting with Kenyans living in Italy, in a video circulating online on Thursday.
He said Kenya’s education system produces strong English-speaking ability, adding that he sometimes struggles to understand Nigerians when they speak 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,” he said.
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He added that Kenya has strong human capital but needs further training to improve its global competitiveness.
“We have some of the best human capital anywhere in the world. We just need to sharpen it with more training,” he said in a video shared by Kenyan Digital News on April 20.
Although Ruto did not reference any specific individual or statement, some interpretations online linked his comments to remarks made earlier by President Bola Tinubu.
During a visit to Bayelsa State on April 10, 2026, Tinubu had spoken about economic hardship in Nigeria, urging citizens to remain thankful and suggesting Nigerians were better off than people in some other African countries, including Kenya.
“Let’s just thank God together that you are better off listening to them in Kenya and other African countries. What they are going through,” Tinubu said during the inauguration of projects in Yenagoa.
The exchange has since generated reactions across social media, with users in both countries debating the remarks and their implications.
Some Nigerians criticised the comparison and tone of the comments, while others defended the broader context of economic challenges facing African nations.
One X user wrote, “OMG, Kenya don de sub us… now our fellow African counterpart said we no sabi speak better English.”
Another said, “Tinubu has reduced us to a laughing stock… now Kenya’s president, and who knows what next.”
Others pushed back, arguing that English proficiency should not be used as a measure of national success, pointing to countries that have developed economically despite varying levels of English usage.
On YouTube, reactions were also divided, with some users mocking the comments and others dismissing the controversy as unnecessary.
Kenya, like many African countries, has faced its own economic pressures, including protests in 2024 over proposed tax increases that forced President Ruto to withdraw a finance bill and reshuffle his cabinet.
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