American television presenter Rob Finnerty found himself at the centre of an international storm after remarks he made on Newsmax on October 9, drew fierce backlash from Kenyans online.
During the broadcast, Finnerty claimed that immigration policies under former US President Joe Biden had turned blue sanctuary cities into places resembling Nairobi rather than New York City.
The comments, seemingly intended as a slight, backfired spectacularly when Kenyans took it upon themselves to show the world exactly what Nairobi looks like.
Why Finnerty was forced to apologise
Within hours, Finnerty’s social media accounts were swamped with photos and videos of Nairobi’s gleaming modern skyline, bustling infrastructure, and vibrant city life.
The response was overwhelming, with the pushback racking up 1.2 million views and over 6,000 comments on the platform. Three days later, on October 12, Finnerty posted a public apology on X, writing:
“I want to offer an apology to the people of Nairobi, Kenya. The passion you have your city and homeland is amazing… We all make mistakes. I misspoke, and I am sorry to anyone I have offended.” He followed up with a second apology on 13 October.
See the post below:
I want to offer an apology to the people of Nairobi, Kenya. The passion you have your city and homeland is amazing… We all make mistakes. I misspoke, and I am sorry to anyone I have offended.🙌
— Rob Finnerty (@RobFinnertyUSA) October 13, 2026
Kenyans react to the apology
The apology landed with mixed results. While some acknowledged the gesture, many Kenyans made clear that a few words on social media were not enough to close the matter.
@Dr_AustinOmondi:
“Welcome back to Kenya when you need another reality check.”
@kijanayamwingii:
“The same way you aired disrespect is the same way you should air your apology.”
@itskipronoh:
“You must deactivate all your social media platforms.”
@EricNjiiru:
“You should know people.”
@kilundeezy:
“Apology not accepted. First of all, have you ever been to Nairobi?”
@ggiste:
“The only acceptable apology is for you to type Wantam!”
