Kenyans on Saturday took to social media to throw shades at Tanzanian music star Diamond Platnumz over his below-par English-speaking prowess.
This is after Diamond, in a conversation in a Netflix reality show dubbed Young Rich and Famous mistakenly said he is 31st years old instead of saying he is 31.
Diamond’s statement evoked a lot of reaction among Kenyan followers who accused him of trying to “force English” language yet he can’t speak it.
“Instead of Diamond saying “I’m 31st Years old” why can’t he just use Kiswahili a language that he understands and has a vast grasp of? Why force things?” one Lord Abraham said.
“This reality show has no edits, has no cuts. It’s just Diamond Platinumz embarrassing the whole of East Africa Uncut,” Bravin Yuri added.
Diamond’s compatriots have, however, come to his defence arguing that though the Jeje hitmaker cannot speak English properly, that doesn’t mean he is “stupid”.
Led by rapper Fid Q and AY, Tanzanian singers, the Tanzanians noted that there was nothing special about mastering the English language. They noted that English is just like any other language including Kiswahili, Diamond’s first language.
“Kenyans on Twitter joke yao kubwa ni hamna ambao Watanzania hawawezijieleza kwa Kiingereza. Si namna Kiingereza inatamkwa ni namna ambavyo wahawajui. Lakini ukifwatilia kiundani ni kama hawa ndugu zetu wanaamini kuwa kujua Kiingereza ndio kukuwa na akili na kusahau kuwa Kiingereza ni lugha kama Kiskuma ama Kijaluo (Kenyans biggest joke on Twitter is how Tanzanians cannot fluently express themselves in English. They think that if one fluently speaks English then he or she is smart but what they don’t know is that English is just like Kiswahili, Luo or Sukuma),” Rapper Fid Q said.
“Huyo Mkenya anayesema Mtanzania hajui Kiingereza na ameshika simu ya Huawei yenye Mchina ametengeneza lakini hajui Kiingereza ( Kenyans saying that Tanzanians can’t speak English are using phones made by Chinese who also can’t speak English),” AY added.
