WATCH: Hata sijui kuliendaje.. Ruto apology to Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye
A video emerged on social media on November 7, 2022, showing Kenya’s President William Ruto apologizing to his Burundian counterpart Evariste Ndayishimiye.
The interaction was recorded when the two Heads of State met on the sidelines of the Conference of Parties (COP27), an annual United Nations meeting on climate change.
Kenya oppositional leader Raila Amollo Odinga is also in attendance at the COP27 UN meeting.
In the viral video, President Ndayishimiye could be heard heartily greeting President Ruto, asking how he is and how the country is faring.
“Habari yako? Salama kabisa. Habari za Kenya? (How are you? I’m very fine. How is Kenya?)” President Ndayishimye greeted President Ruto.
“Salama, wewe? Kenya iko salama. Pole about yesterday. Sijui kuliendaje. Unajua, wale waliniambia Rais anakuja, baadaye wakaniambia, hapana, Rais alikuwa anakungojea (I am very fine, how about you? Kenya is doing okay. I’m sorry about yesterday. I don’t know how the plans went. You know, my people told me the President is coming, later, they told me that the President had been waiting for me),” Ruto could be heard apologizing in his response to the greetings.
Habari za Ke 🇰🇪, @kollonabiswa ? pic.twitter.com/RhBVj3bOqG
— Cédrick Irakoze (@irakoze94) November 7, 2022
Details remain scanty as to what exactly President Ruto was apologizing but from the video, it appeared President Ndayishimiye did not take the confusion that marred their potential meeting to heart.
The two national leaders have been enjoying a cordial relationship with Burundi among Kenya’s major trading partners that are heavily reliant on the Port of Mombasa for their imports and exports.
In 2022, President Ndayishimye has been to Kenya twice. The first time was in May/June 2022, when former president Uhuru Kenyatta invited him for a state visit in Kisumu where the two leaders ‘re-affirmed their unwavering commitment to deepen the long-standing fraternal relations that exist between Kenya and Burundi.”
President Ruto was Uhuru Kenyatta’s deputy at the time.
The second time the Burundian leader visited Kenya was in September 2022, when he was among 25 Heads of State invited to witness the swearing-in of President Ruto as the fifth President of Kenya.
In his role as East African Community (EAC) chairman, Ndayishimiye was among leaders chosen to address Kenyans who had gathered at the Kasarani stadium to witness the event.
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