Kenya’s William Ruto Did Not Respond to Tanzanian President After She Accused Kenyan Activists of Meddling – Viral Video Misleading
IN SHORT: Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu warned Kenyan activists against meddling in the country’s affairs after they tried to attend the trial of an opposition leader. However, Kenya’s president William Ruto has not responded to her, contrary to what a viral video suggests.
Kenyan president William Ruto responded to Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu just moments after she warned activists from Kenya against interfering in the country’s politics, according to a video circulating online.
The video shows Ruto speaking, saying: “Taifa letu la Kenya ni taifa la ajabu. We are a great nation. Let nobody tell you negative things about Kenya. I have so much belief in this country. I have so much faith in this nation.” “Taifa letu la Kenya ni taifa la ajabu” is Kiswahili for “Our nation of Kenya is a wonderful nation”.
He goes on: “I would not know what to do in any other nation, but this one, I believe in Kenya. And I believe in the possibilities of our nation … This is going to be a great nation. I am persuaded. I know, and it is possible …”.
The video features the logo of Kenyan Magazine – an online news site – and is overlaid with the text “President Ruto Responds to Samia Suluhu”. It appears to have originated on TikTok and has also been posted on the site’s YouTube channel.
The video went viral after Suluhu warned Kenyan activists against meddling in her country’s political affairs. The activists, who included former justice minister Martha Karua and former chief justice Willy Mutunga, travelled to Tanzania in May 2025 to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu but were detained and later deported.
Two other activists from Kenya and Uganda were also arrested and have alleged that they were tortured before being released.
Suluhu’s warning appeared to rattle Kenyans on social media, many of whom used the platform to vent their anger at the country’s leadership.
But did Ruto respond to Suluhu, as shown in the viral video? We checked.
Video unrelated to Suluhu or Tanzania
Africa Check searched for Ruto’s remarks online and found clues about when and where he might have made them. Some local media outlets published the remarks and indicated that he made the comments on 21 May.
A search on Ruto’s verified Facebook page confirmed that his outfit on that day matched what he was wearing in the video. He was meeting leaders from Machakos, Makueni and Kitui counties at State House in the capital, Nairobi. State House is the official residence and office of the president of Kenya.
We found and analysed longer videos of Ruto’s speech and saw no point where he mentioned Tanzania or its president. His speech focused on Kenya’s economy.
If Ruto’s statement regarding Tanzania were true, it would have been reported by local and international media outlets and likely have sparked diplomatic tension. However, we found no credible media reports on this development. Besides, any disagreement between the two countries would most likely be resolved through private diplomatic channels rather than through public spats.
During a national prayer breakfast held on 28 May, Ruto asked Tanzania to forgive Kenya “if we have wronged you in any way”.
The video in circulation is misleading and should be ignored.
By Africa Check
