Ruto apology to Congolese
Deputy President William Ruto has expressed regret on his earlier suggestion that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) doesn’t even have one cow.
In a statement published by his communication director Hussein Mohammed, Ruto said, “I regret any misunderstanding that may have arisen on account of my speech, and take this opportunity to assure the government and the people of DRC of my profound admiration and high regard.”
Ruto’s soft apology came as Raila Odinga, perceived to be his main opponent in the August 2022 polls, criticized the Deputy President’s remarks arguing they could affect the relationship between Kenya and the DRC.
“Ruto’s attack on the DRC are a manifestation of a reckless lack of vision and foresight; a pathetic failure to see where opportunities abound for Kenya,” said Odinga.
Additionally, Mrs Francine Muyumba, the Ambassador of Congo in Kenya expressed her disappointment following the Deputy presidents remarks.
In a video posted on Twitter, the Ambassador termed the remarks as disrespectful, arrogant and contemptuous.
“These statements intend to weaken our relations. Candidates running for the highest office of this great country Kenya need to bear that in mind. Running for this office as a presidential candidate, one needs to sharpen his sense of diplomatic responsibility and public speaking. This is unacceptable ” she said.
A direct message to the Deputy President of #Kenya Dr @WilliamsRuto, Dr. Ruto must simply withdraw his contemptuous statements against our Country the Democratic Republic of Congo. pic.twitter.com/PUk22bnzkN
— Amb.Francine MUYUMBA NKANGA ?? (@Muyumba) February 16, 2022
She spoke even as a section of Congolese nationals expressed their discontent on social media, with others on Twitter threatening to boycott Equity Bank in protest over the DP’s statement.
Ruto had suggested, at a political rally earlier in the week, that DRC was a country ‘only known for producing musicians such as Kanda Bongoman’ but didnt even ‘have a single cow’