William Ruto clarifies remarks on Nigerian accents, citing misrepresentation
via Tuko3 min read
President William Ruto has addressed the controversy surrounding his earlier comments about Nigerian English accents, stating that his remarks were misrepresented. Speaking at the Mining Investment Conference and Expo in Nairobi, Ruto clarified his position after facing criticism for statements made to Kenyans in Italy, where he suggested that Nigerian English could be difficult to understand and that Kenyans spoke "the best English in the world." Critics, particularly from Nigeria and other African nations, viewed his initial comments as reinforcing colonial-era notions linking English proficiency to intelligence. Ruto, referring to Nigerians as "my in-laws" due to his daughter's marriage, asked a government official to convey his regards to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian people. He explained that his comments were part of a private conversation that became public and was taken out of context. Ruto emphasized that his intention was to highlight the strength of English proficiency across African countries, not to demean Nigeria, and that variations in accents reflect linguistic richness.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Tuko.
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