President William Ruto’s remarks suggesting that Kenyans speak better English than Nigerians have continued to draw strong reactions across the continent, with Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono warning that such statements risk reinforcing division and colonial-era thinking.
Ruto made the comments during a public engagement in Rome, Italy, where he was discussing Kenya’s education system and global competitiveness.
He suggested that Kenyan English is clearer and easier to understand compared to Nigerian English, adding in a joking tone that Nigerians may need “a translator” when speaking English.
The remarks were widely shared online and picked up by international media, including the BBC, triggering debate on whether the President’s comments were light-hearted humour or an inappropriate comparison between African nations.
Reacting to the controversy, Chin’ono rejected the argument that the statement was just a joke, saying leadership carries weight that cannot be dismissed as casual banter.
“I do not want to single out any one comment among those who said President William Ruto was joking when he claimed that Kenyans speak better English than Nigerians, and that Nigerians need a translator,” he said.
“This story is now in international media precisely because the remarks were seen as absurd and unbecoming of a head of state.”
Chin’ono said private individuals can afford humour and teasing, but argued that presidents cannot make similar remarks without consequences.
“A private individual can tease. That is everyday banter. But a president does not have that luxury,” he said. “When a sitting African president stands up and says one nation speaks ‘better English’ than another, that is not harmless humour. That is leadership reinforcing hierarchy and division.”
He added that such comparisons risk reviving colonial ways of thinking that still influence how Africans judge intelligence and education.
“English is not ours. It is a colonial language,” he said. “Measuring African worth by how closely one mimics it is exactly the mindset African leaders should be dismantling, not reinforcing.”
Chin’ono also warned that such statements can affect young people’s confidence and identity, particularly in countries referenced in the comparison.
“A Nigerian child hearing that from a head of state is being told their way of speaking is inferior. Language is tied to identity and self-worth. That message goes far beyond humour,” he said.
He further urged African leaders to focus on unity through indigenous languages, pointing to Swahili as a strong regional connector in East Africa.
“Swahili already plays a unifying role in this region. That is where leadership energy should go—building bridges, not ranking Africans using colonial standards,” he said.
Chin’ono concluded that public office removes the privilege of casual humour when addressing sensitive issues involving national identity.
“It is not about whether people can take a joke,” he said. “It is about understanding that some jokes, especially from leaders, carry consequences that extend far beyond the moment they are made.”