The Iranian government through its embassy has responded with warmth and gratitude after a video of a Kenyan man proudly displaying the Iranian flag while cycling through town went viral online and caught the attention of Iranian officials.
In the footage that sparked the reaction, the man is seen riding his bicycle through town draped in the Iranian flag, using it as a cover over his body while a smaller Iranian flag flies mounted at the front of his bicycle.
The sight of an ordinary Kenyan citizen so visibly and publicly showing solidarity with Iran made waves on social media and clearly reached audiences far beyond Kenya’s borders.
The Iranian government’s response was swift, warm and delivered in a distinctly Kenyan tone that suggested they had done their homework on how to connect with the audience.
Addressing Kenyans directly, they acknowledged the show of support with a message that mixed Swahili with the kind of casual, social media friendly language that resonated immediately online.
“To our Kenyan fam, we see you! Asanti for standing with us, sana sana. Mbele pamoja, wadau!” the message read thanking Kenyans in Swahili and declaring that they move forward together.
The use of Swahili phrases like asanti, sana sana and mbele pamoja, along with the informal wadau, signalled a deliberate and successful attempt by the Iranian government to speak directly to the Kenyan public in their own language and cultural register.
The exchange has since generated significant buzz online, with many Kenyans amused and touched in equal measure that their small act of grassroots solidarity had been noticed and acknowledged at a governmental level by a nation thousands of kilometres away.