American television host Rob Finnerty has been forced to apologize to Kenyans after his remarks comparing Nairobi to American cities affected by immigration triggered an online backlash, with Kenyans flooding social media with images showcasing the Kenyan capital.
Finnerty, who hosts a program on US-based Newsmax, made the controversial remarks during an October 9, 2026, broadcast while discussing immigration and sanctuary cities in the United States.
“They move to blue sanctuary cities, and the cities then start to look more like Nairobi than New York City,” he said, sparking criticism from Kenyans who felt he had portrayed Nairobi negatively.
In response, Kenyans took to social media to challenge his comments, posting photographs and videos of Nairobi’s skyline, modern buildings, commercial districts, and infrastructure to counter his portrayal of the city.
Others flooded his social media pages with comments demanding an explanation and an apology, turning the remarks into an international debate about how African cities are represented in foreign media.
The host was even forced to lock his Instagram as a result.
