Kenyan President William Ruto has engaged in a diplomatic spat with Nigeria, taking a swipe at Nigerians over their proficiency in the English language.
This sharp critique appears to be a direct response to comments made earlier this month by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who invoked Kenya in an attempt to justify his administration’s economic policies.
The drama surfaced after Tinubu, while visiting Bayelsa State on April 10, 2026, acknowledged the economic difficulties faced by Nigerians due to rising fuel costs.
During his address, he urged citizens to remain grateful, suggesting that they were “better off” than individuals living in Kenya and other African nations struggling with severe economic conditions.
“Yes, I hear you from various angles of the economy. The fuel prices are biting hard.
“Let’s just thank God together that you are better off listening to them in Kenya and other African countries. What they are going through,” Tinubu said while inaugurating projects executed by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri in Yenagoa, the state capital.
The comparison comes weeks after pump prices climbed to N1,300 per litre, largely driven by the US-Israeli military action against Iran which blocked the Strait of Hormuz and rattled global oil markets.
However, Ruto has now replied, taking a swipe at Nigerians. The Kenyan President, while addressing Kenyans living in Italy, pushed back against the economic narrative by defending Kenya’s educational standards and its command of the English language.
He said Kenya’s education system produces strong English proficiency and claimed difficulty understanding Nigerians when they speak English.
“Our education is good. Our English is good. We speak some of the best English in the world. If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don’t know what they are saying. You need a translator.”
“We have some of the best human capital anywhere in the world. We just need to sharpen it with more training,” he said in a video first posted by Kenyan Digital News on April 20.
While Ruto did not make a direct reference to any specific comment, some online interpretations suggested the remarks may be in response to comments made earlier this month by Tinubu.
The remarks have ignited a fierce debate online, with many Nigerians expressing shock and frustration at the comparison.
Below are some of the comments;
