Kigali/Nairobi — A video of Rwandan children performing an energetic outdoor dance to mark Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 74th birthday was shared on October 7 by the Russian Embassy in Kenya.
The roughly 50-second clip, posted by the embassy’s official account, shows members of Moriox Kids dancing on a dirt basketball court. The children, mostly wearing green shirts and white bottoms, move in formation while waving red cloths. An on-screen message in Russian reads: “Happy birthday to the President of our beloved country Vladimir Putin!” accompanied by a Russian flag and heart emoji. The group’s social media handles appear throughout the video.
Moriox Kids is a Rwandan children’s ensemble that performs music and dance and has participated in international cultural events. The group has also described itself online as supporting school fees and weekend feeding programs for children in its care.
The embassy post described the performance as a “vibrant dance” congratulating Putin. Replies to the post included additional birthday messages from users identifying with Rwanda and other African countries.
Putin, born October 7, 1952, turned 74 on the day the video circulated. Separate reporting from independent Russian outlets noted that kindergartens in several Russian regions also held birthday activities for the president that day, with some children recording messages or participating in events about his life.
The greeting arrives amid expanding official contacts between Russia and Rwanda. In recent months the two countries have advanced nuclear cooperation talks; Rosatom and Rwandan officials held a joint coordinating committee meeting and signed a roadmap on small modular reactors. Diplomatic relations between the countries date to 1963, and a third Russia-Africa Summit is scheduled for Moscow later in October 2026.
The embassy video drew several thousand views within a day of posting. No official statement from the Rwandan government or from the Kremlin specifically addressing the children’s performance was immediately available.
