Yaounde – In a bold departure from tradition, Brenda Biya, the first daughter of Cameroon, turned heads at the inauguration of her new venture, Bree Cosmetics, in Bastos. Opting to deliver her speech entirely in English, Brenda sent a powerful message in a nation where the French language dominates public and political discourse.
The move was particularly striking given her father, President Paul Biya’s, preference for French in official communications. Brenda, however, appears to embrace her bilingual heritage differently. Educated in Anglo-Saxon institutions, she showcased a natural command of the King’s English, which outshines her fluency in French.
Her address resonated with the audience, which included high-ranking officials like Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Minister of State and Secretary General at the Presidency. Many were visibly taken aback by her choice of language, a subtle yet bold defiance of the status quo. Brenda further underlined her linguistic preference during press interviews, conducted exclusively in English and later translated into French by CRTV.
Brenda’s language choice ignited spirited discussions on social media, with many praising her for emphasizing the significance of English in Cameroon’s bilingual landscape. One Facebook user quipped, “Thank you, Bree Bree, for indirectly reminding your father that English matters. If all his children spoke English at home, he might take its importance seriously.”
Others poked fun at CRTV’s unusual task of translating her comments from English to French. “Poor CRTV! This must be a first for them,” one commenter joked. “If it were President Biya or Chantal Biya, it’d be business as usual.”
Beyond the linguistic statement, the event marked Brenda Biya’s official foray into the beauty industry. Through Bree Cosmetics, she aims to provide affordable, high-quality products tailored to the Cameroonian market. While her business initiative has been widely lauded, Brenda remains a polarizing figure, known for her unfiltered views and public appeals to her parents.
Brenda Biya’s bold use of English is more than a personal choice—it’s a statement on inclusivity and representation in a country where language divides often mirror broader societal fractures.
