Diplomacy: The Kenyan Embassy apologizes to the DRC after William Ruto’s inappropriate speech

The Kenyan Ambassador accredited to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Georges Masafu, did not remain indifferent to the less than polite statement of the Vice President of his country, William Ruto, who spat on the population of the DRC. A statement that has currently gone viral on social networks, in which the image shows William Ruto visibly mocking the Congolese.

In the same video, the Kenyan Vice President presents the Congolese as a people who only know how to « sing and wear pants pulled over their navels ».

In front of Kenyan businessmen, he also mocked what he described as a sense of cowardice on the part of the Congolese population.

« They are about 90 million people but still import milk from other countries, » he said.

And to specify that this reality offers a « potential market » to their country (Kenya).

Reacting in a statement, Georges Masafu has bluntly condemned these discourteous remarks before hammering on the unity and cohesion that reign for a long time between the people of Congo and Kenya.

In the wake, the latter noted that for the time being, the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs is indeed dealing with this issue which, according to him, will have to be settled diplomatically between the two nations.

https://t.co/IXgJcaiF9o Masafu today met with the Secretary General of the MFA of the DRC Amb.Joska Kabongo to discuss & disassociate from the remarks made by DP William Ruto on DRC.The Amb said that the Remarks were personal and does not reflect the position of the Govt of Kenya pic.twitter.com/80MhJ4AJcv

— KENYA EMBASSY DRC (@KENYAinDRC) February 16, 2022

Below is the full document:

Attention has been drawn to the Kenyan Embassy in Kinshasa, regarding remarks on the agricultural sector of the DRC attributed to Mr. William Ruto while he was campaigning in Kenya.

The Embassy has informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nairobi of the negative reactions that the comments have generated among the business community and the general population in the DRC.

The Kenyan Embassy wishes to reiterate that the Government and people of Kenya share a deep and respectful historical relationship with the Government and people of the DRC.

This relationship dates back to the independence of our respective countries. Kenya is confident that this relationship will be anchored in the government-to-government frameworks and people-to-people partnerships that have been built in recent years.

The Embassy reassures the Government and people of the DRC that the Government of Kenya will continue to encourage the citizens of our two countries to continue to engage and build strong partnerships, especially at this historic moment when the DRC is preparing to join the East African Community.

Guillaume Mavudila

French Version : Diplomatie : L’Ambassade du Kenya présente ses excuses à la RDC après le discours déplacé de William Ruto