President William Ruto and his Tanzanian counterpart Samia Suluhu on Thursday, September 7, exchanged teasing remarks during the Africa Food Systems Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
President Suluhu went first poking holes at Ruto’s mastery of the Swahili language after taking the podium to address the delegates.
On a light note, Suluhu revisited Ruto’s past occasion where he used the word “Jambo”, – a common way of salutation in Kenya- to greet delegates in a conference.
According to her, Ruto’s way of salutation was not appropriate for the context. She went on to suggest what she said was the best way to convey greetings in Swahili during daytime.
‘Juzi Ruto alitufundisha jambo akasema semeni jambo mkasema jambo lakini the real thing is habari za mchana,” Suluhu remarked, sending the delegates to a moment of laughter.
“Hawa Wakenya hawa, kuenda kusaini mkataba wanamsema kuweka kidole kwa makataba, inabidi tuwaweke katika lessons za Kiswahili.”
Kenyan CNN journalist Larry Madowo, who was also present at the meeting, weighed in to defend Kenya. He stated that in as much as Kenyan are poor in Swahili language, they have a better mastery of English.
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“Wakenya tunawazungumzia Watanzania kwa Kiswahili kibaya, Watanzania wanatujibu kwa Kizungu kibaya tuanedelea. “Tanzanians and Kenyans, we are close friends, nothing more. This is a family matter,” Madowo said.
Ruto’s rejoinder
When it was Ruto’s turn to take the podium, he started by acknowledging Madowo’s sentiments asserting that Kenyans were better English speakers.
He went on to voice his concerns over what he termed as repetitive use of the Azimio, a swahili word that means resolution.
According to him, listening to President Suluhu mention the word time and again made him uneasy as he associated it to the activities of his rival faction back at home.
“Let me help my friend Larry ni mtu wa kutoka kwetu kule kijijini. He meant to say that you talk to us in fluent Kiswahili, and we respond to you in fluent English,” Ruto stated as the delegates burst into laughter.
But I have also heard you repeat the term Azimio and I started getting uneasy because back at home Azimio is an opposition party full of chaos.”
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Ruto Official visit
President Ruto flew to Tanzania on Thursday, September 7, to attend the 13th Africa Food Systems Summit.
The summit, according to State House, was to set the stage for a discussion on crucial issues of food security, sustainability, and innovation.
This is the second in two months that the President is visiting Tanzania on official duty after his trip in July to attend a summit on human capital.
