A US television presenter has apologised to Kenyans after remarks in which he suggested that immigration was making parts of New York City resemble Nairobi.
Rob Finnerty, who hosts a primetime programme on the conservative network Newsmax, made the comments during a segment on 9 October about immigration and urban conditions in New York. Discussing what he described as the impact of migration under former President Joe Biden, he said people from Africa, the Middle East and South America were moving into “blue sanctuary cities” and that these places were beginning to “look more like Nairobi than New York City”.
The segment included interviews with individuals who identified themselves as coming from countries including Guatemala, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mexico and Guinea. None of those featured said they were from Kenya.
The remarks prompted criticism on social media, particularly from Kenyans who questioned why their capital had been singled out. Many argued that the comparison reinforced negative stereotypes about African cities and used Nairobi as a shorthand for urban decline in a debate about US immigration policy.
On Tuesday, Finnerty issued an apology on the social media platform X. “I want to offer an apology to the people of Nairobi, Kenya. The passion you have for your city and homeland is amazing… We all make mistakes. I misspoke, and I am sorry to anyone I have offended,” he wrote.
Some Kenyan users said a written statement was insufficient and called for him to apologise on air.
