Kenyan President William Ruto has drawn widespread criticism on social media after suggesting that Nigerians speaking English can be difficult to understand and may require translation.
Speaking to Kenyan nationals living in Italy on Monday, Ruto praised Kenya’s education system while making a comparison with Nigeria’s spoken English.
“If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don’t know what they are saying—you need a translator,” he said.
He went on to commend Kenya’s English proficiency, adding: “Our education is good. Our English is good. We speak some of the best English in the world.”
Ruto made the remarks while addressing the diaspora community, where he highlighted Kenya’s human capital development and urged further investment in training and skills.
“We have some of the best human capital anywhere in the world. We just need to sharpen it with more training,” he added.
The comments quickly triggered strong reactions online, with many users accusing the Kenyan president of being dismissive toward Nigerians and promoting unnecessary comparisons between African countries.
Critics argued that English varies widely across the continent due to indigenous linguistic influences.
In Nigeria, English is shaped by hundreds of local languages, producing distinct accents, expressions, and speech patterns commonly referred to as Nigerian English.
Several commentators also pointed to Nigeria’s cultural, literary, and creative influence globally as evidence of its strong linguistic identity.
Others said the remarks were inappropriate for a head of state, urging leaders to avoid statements that could strain regional relations or fuel stereotypes.
Some of Ruto’s supporters, however, defended the comments, suggesting they were made in a light-hearted context during engagement with the diaspora and were not intended as an insult.
The incident has since continued to trend across social platforms, reflecting ongoing sensitivity around language, identity, and inter-African perceptions.
