On Monday, President William Ruto barred a Tanzanian official from translating his English speech into Swahili.
Speaking on Monday, October 10, Ruto told off the translator who had begun translating his speech from English to Swahili saying he would confuse him.
“I do not know whether it is necessary to translate, is there anyone who is not conversant with the English language? Just let it be, I will repeat it myself afterward because you will confuse me,” the President reiterated.
Earlier, Ruto had admitted that he had struggled with speaking Swahili, which is Tanzania’s official language.
“Your excellency, I have really struggled with Kiswahili this morning, because it has really mixed me up. Allow me to make my address in English, so that I am well understood,” he stated.
The President gave his speech in English and at some point switched to Swahili to explain what he had said.
He did, however, have difficulty translating his remarks and was sometimes forced to switch to English.
“Poleni Kiswahili yangu kidogo ni lukumba lukumba, lakini ndio hivyo sasa tutazoea nikija mara mbili tatu,” he said.
Ruto arrived in Tanzania on Sunday for a two-day state visit.
The Kenyan Head of State assured his Tanzanian counterpart that he would maintain the existing diplomatic relations which were fostered during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s term in office.
“I would like to confirm that I intend to build on those good foundations with you to take our countries to the next level. Because of your goodwill, trade between these two countries has grown phenomenally” Ruto remarked.
The President thanked Tanzanians for their support to Kenya during the election period.
