Kenyan President, William Ruto, has raised concern over the increasing number of Kenyan women marrying Nigerian men, including his own daughter.
Speaking at a wedding ceremony, Ruto pointed to what he described as a noticeable trend of Kenyan women choosing Nigerian partners, and jokingly questioned why Kenyan men seem to be missing out.
“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 went on to joke that if the trend continues, Kenya might experience a “brain drain” as more women leave the country through marriage.
“We need to balance this scale because at this rate, we are going to have a brain drain.”
June Ruto, the daughter of President Ruto, tied the nuptial knot with a Nigerian, Dr Alexander Ezenegu, on May 27, 2021.
However, despite expressing support for his daughter’s union with her Nigerian husband, Ruto admitted it was difficult at first to come to terms with her decision to marry a Nigerian.
He said at the event, “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.
“It is much more difficult when you are giving your daughter to Igbos.”
