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The Africa Food Systems Summit in Tanzania witnessed moments of laughter and camaraderie as President Samia Suluhu, President William Ruto, and CNN journalist Larry Madowo engaged in light banter, captivating the attendees.
The conversation began when President Samia corrected President Ruto, reminiscing about the Africa Climate Summit in Kenya when he greeted the attendees with 'jambo.'
She emphasised that the correct Swahili salutation should have been 'habari za mchana.'
"Juzi Ruto alitufundisha Jambo akasema semeni 'jambo', lakini the real thing ni habari za mchana," President Samia remarked, sparking laughter among the audience.
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President Samia went on to highlight some linguistic nuances between Kenya and Tanzania, mentioning how Kenyans often refer to signing an agreement as 'kutilia kidole mkataba,' whereas the correct phrase is 'kutia saini mkataba.'
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Larry Madowo responds to President Samia Suluhu
Larry Madowo, seizing the opportunity to add his humour to the exchange, came to President Ruto's defence, saying that while Kenyans may struggle with Swahili, Tanzanians have their own challenges with English.
"Rais Samia Hassan alisema wataanza kufunza Wakenya Kiswahili, nikamjibu: Tunaongelesha waTanzania kwa Kiswahili mbaya, wanatujibu na Kizungu mbaya, tunasonga mbele kama injili," Larry Madowo said.
President Ruto tears the crowd during the Africa Food Systems
President Ruto joined in, lightening the mood further by suggesting that Larry's message was that Tanzanians have more fluent Swahili compared to Kenyans.
"Wacha nimsaidie, Kiswahili yangu ni bora kuliko ya Larry amesema mnatungumzia na kingereza ambayo si mzuri na sisi tunawaongelesha Kiswahili ambayo si mzuri lakini kile alikua anataka kusema ni kwamba mnatungumzia na kiswahili sanifu," President Ruto said.
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President Ruto's sense of humour added an entertaining twist to the interaction.
Ruto shared his curiosity about the word 'Azimio,' which he encountered during his visit.
He humorously mentioned his initial apprehension due to the term's different meaning in Kenyan politics, where 'Azimio' is associated with the opposition party and is often marked by chaos.
"Pia nmeskia watu wakizungumzia Azimio nkipata kidogo wasi wasi kwa sababu huko kwetu Azimio ni mambo mengine, Azimio ni chama ya upinzani iko na fujo kweli," the president said.
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However, he graciously acknowledged that 'Azimio' in Tanzania signifies something positive and agreeable.