According to a report by Vanguard on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, President William Ruto of Kenya has clarified that his remarks regarding Nigerian English were misunderstood and taken out of context.
He explained that the statement was made during a private conversation while attending the Mining Investment Conference and Expo held in Nairobi on Tuesday.
According to him, the comments were not part of any official address but arose during informal discussions held on the sidelines of the event.
He further stated that the version of his remarks circulating publicly does not accurately reflect the situation in which they were made.
Ruto noted that the comment was part of a casual exchange rather than a structured speech, and as such, it should not be interpreted as an official position or statement.
He emphasized that context plays a key role in understanding remarks made in informal settings.
The Kenyan president recalled that the situation followed an earlier engagement where he had addressed Kenyans residing in Italy.
He indicated that the discussion in question was linked to broader diplomatic interactions and informal conversations connected to those engagements, which were later repeated outside their original setting.
Ruto also explained that the nature of private conversations can often differ significantly from formal speeches delivered in public forums.
He pointed out that such exchanges are sometimes shared without the surrounding details that give them proper meaning, leading to misunderstandings when taken in isolation from the full discussion.
He maintained that his intention was never to criticize or undermine any form of English spoken in Nigeria.
According to him, the remarks were conversational in tone and were not meant to carry any negative implication.
He reiterated that informal remarks between individuals in private settings can sometimes be misrepresented when separated from their original environment.
He added that the Mining Investment Conference and Expo in Nairobi involved numerous formal and informal interactions among participants.
He noted that discussions held on the sidelines often included light exchanges that were not intended for public dissemination or interpretation as official statements.
He said, “Tell President Tinubu that I said ‘hi’. And tell him I said that in good English… so that there will be no consequences….See More
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