Kenyan President William Ruto has come under heavy criticism after making remarks widely interpreted as mocking Nigerians’ spoken English during a public address in Italy.
Speaking to Kenyans living abroad on Monday, Ruto praised Kenya’s education system and claimed it produces strong English proficiency. He added that Kenyan English was among the best in the world, contrasting it with Nigerian English in a way that triggered backlash.
“If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don’t know what they are saying—you need a translator,” Ruto said, a comment that drew laughter from parts of the audience but quickly went viral online for the wrong reasons.
His remarks sparked immediate outrage across social media, especially among Nigerians and other Africans, who accused him of being disrespectful and reinforcing stereotypes rooted in colonial-era attitudes toward language. Critics argued that English is a colonial language and should not be used as a measure of intelligence, development, or national superiority.
Some also noted that African English varieties naturally differ due to local linguistic influences. Nigeria, for example, has more than 500 indigenous languages that shape its pronunciation, rhythm, and expressions, while Kenya’s English is influenced by a mix of Bantu, Nilotic, and Cushitic languages.
Responding online, Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono said English should not be treated as a standard of superiority, calling out the mindset behind such comparisons.
Other critics referenced Nigeria’s global cultural influence, pointing to literary figures such as Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as evidence of the country’s intellectual and cultural standing.
Former Nigerian senator Shehu Sani also reacted, arguing that it was inappropriate for Ruto to make such remarks about a country with globally recognized literary achievements.
Some social media users urged the Kenyan president to focus instead on domestic challenges such as rising living costs and unemployment rather than engaging in what they called unnecessary comparisons.
However, not all reactions were negative. A section of Kenyans defended Ruto, saying his comments were taken out of context or intended as light humour rather than insult.
The episode has also reignited long-running online rivalries between Nigerians and Kenyans, which often play out on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), usually involving debates over culture, economy, sports, and national pride.
These exchanges sometimes escalate into what many describe as “cyber wars,” with both sides defending their countries’ global image.
Earlier this month, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu also faced criticism from some Kenyans online after suggesting that Nigerians were better off than people in Kenya and other African countries, despite domestic economic pressures.
While Ruto did not directly reference Tinubu, some online observers speculated that his comments may have been influenced by recent regional political exchanges.
There has been no official statement from the Kenyan presidency addressing the controversy. Meanwhile, Nigeria remains Africa’s largest English-speaking nation, and its version of English—often called Nigerian English—has evolved into a widely recognized linguistic variety that continues to influence global usage, including expressions that have entered international dictionaries.