NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan President William Ruto has stirred light-hearted reactions across East and West Africa after jokingly expressing concern over what he described as a growing trend of Kenyan women marrying Nigerian men — including his own daughter.
Speaking during a wedding ceremony this week, President Ruto playfully questioned why more Kenyan men are not marrying Kenyan women, noting a noticeable pattern in recent years.
“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,” he quipped to laughter from guests.
Ruto went further, joking that if the trend persists, the country might soon face a different kind of migration challenge.
“We need to balance this scale because at this rate, we are going to have a brain drain,” he said.
The president’s comments come nearly four years after his daughter, June Ruto, married Nigerian lawyer and academic, Dr Alexander Ezenegu, in a high-profile ceremony held on May 27, 2021.
Reflecting on his own experience as a father at the wedding, Ruto shared that while he ultimately supported his daughter’s decision, it was not without hesitation.
“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.
He added with a grin, “It is much more difficult when you are giving your daughter to Igbos.”
See the video:
Kenya’s President William Ruto says Nigerian men are marrying all the women in Kenya.
He also said his daughter is married to a Nigerian man. pic.twitter.com/Ah8oWFyYoh
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) June 5, 2025
