Kenyan President William Ruto has jokingly expressed concern over what he called a growing trend of Kenyan women choosing Nigerian men as life partners, including his own daughter.
Speaking at a recent wedding ceremony attended by both Kenyan and Nigerian guests, President Ruto said it was hard not to notice the pattern. With a mix of humour and cultural reflection, he questioned why Kenyan men seem to be falling behind in the “relationship race.”
“My daughter is married to a Nigerian, and this one is now again married to a Nigerian. And our guys are around; I don’t know, are you slow? I don’t know,” the President said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Ruto, who is known for occasionally infusing humour into his speeches, did not mention the bride or groom by name at the wedding, but his remarks quickly sparked light-hearted conversations across social media in both Kenya and Nigeria.
The President went further to playfully warn that if the trend continues, Kenya might suffer what he described as a “brain drain” — not of professionals, but of its women, through cross-border marriages.
“We need to balance this scale because at this rate, we are going to have a brain drain,” he said, smiling.
President Ruto’s daughter, June Ruto, made headlines in May 2021 when she married Dr. Alexander Ezenagu, a Nigerian lawyer and academic. The wedding took place in Nairobi and attracted attention from across East and West Africa, not just for its political significance but also for its celebration of African unity through marriage.
Although Ruto has since shown full support for his daughter’s marriage, he admitted at the time that it was not an easy decision for him as a father.
“It is both an exciting and anxious moment. It is not easy as a parent to give away your daughter. It is much more difficult if you are giving away your daughter to Nigerians,” he said at the earlier ceremony.
“It is much more difficult when you are giving your daughter to Igbos,” he added, referring to the ethnic group of his son-in-law.
The President’s comments, though clearly made in jest, have touched on a deeper cultural conversation between two of Africa’s most prominent nations. With Nigeria being the continent’s most populous country and Kenya one of East Africa’s largest economies, social and cultural ties between the two nations are growing — and marriages appear to be part of that evolution.
In Nigeria, many took the comments with amusement and pride. Social media users praised Nigerian men for their “charm and confidence,” while others joked that the trend shows “Naija no dey carry last” — a popular phrase meaning “Nigerians never come last.”
Back home in Kenya, some young men jokingly responded to Ruto’s remarks by saying they would need to “step up their game” to keep up with their Nigerian counterparts.
While the President’s words were delivered in a light tone, they also reflect a broader narrative about African unity, mobility, and modern relationships that transcend borders, ethnicity, and old stereotypes.
With African integration growing through travel, trade, and cultural exchange, cross-national marriages like these are becoming more common — and, as President Ruto’s speech shows, they are also becoming the subject of public conversation.
