Why I pronounced Uhuru’s name as ‘Kenyarra’ – Sonko

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko says he wanted to make foreign attendees of the Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi, which was held from November 26 to 28, to feel at home, when he twanged in his entire opening speech.

Speaking at a Nairobi hotel on Wednesday, November 28, during the “Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani” meeting held after conclusion of the Blue Economy convention, Sonko said: “Our [Blue Economy Conference] guests have already left Kenya for their respective countries. So, on behalf of President Kenyatta, and not ‘Kenyarra’… We have to twang when welcoming members of the international community…,” said Sonko, triggering a thunderous laughter from attendees of the meeting, including Mombasa County chief Ali Hassan Joho.

Sonko bemused delegates at the Blue Economy Conference, when he pronounced President Uhuru Kenyatta’s name as “Kenyarra”, city as “ciry”, water as “warer”, among others.

A section of online users believe Sonko adopted a forced American accent.