Kenya Slang Dictionary

Kenyan slang is dominated by Sheng - a vibrant street language born in Nairobi's Eastlands that fuses Swahili and English with words from Kikuyu, Luo, Kamba and Luhya. Spoken by the majority of Kenya's youth, Sheng evolves so fast that vocabulary can shift within months. It's the language of matatu culture, Kenyan hip-hop and daily life across the city. Words like sasa, poa, ganji and mse are just the start. Explore the community-built Sheng dictionary below, and add the words you know.

Chwani

NEW
Fifty shillings.
Example

Nipe chwani ninunue soda.

Admin 4 hours ago

Wasee

NEW
Friends, folks, or people (plural).
Example

Wasee twende kubamba.

Admin 4 hours ago

Kudanga

NEW
To lie or deceive.
Example

Usinidanganye, sema ukweli.

Admin 4 hours ago

Ocha

NEW
The rural home or countryside (upcountry).
Example

Sikukuu tunaenda ocha.

Admin 4 hours ago

Mzinga

NEW
A bottle of liquor.
Example

Tulinunua mzinga ya whiskey.

Admin 4 hours ago

Kanjo

NEW
City council askari (enforcement officers).
Example

Kanjo wamekamata wamachinga.

Admin 4 hours ago

Githeri

NEW
A traditional maize-and-beans dish; also a nickname for something basic.
Example

Nilikula githeri lunch.

Admin 4 hours ago

Kubamba

NEW
To have fun or enjoy oneself.
Example

Weekend tunaenda kubamba.

Admin 4 hours ago

Dame

NEW
A girl or girlfriend.
Example

Yule dame ni wa fiti.

Admin 4 hours ago

Keja

NEW
House or home.
Example

Twende keja tupumzike.

Admin 4 hours ago

Ma3

NEW
Matatu; a public minibus (3 stands for "tatu").
Example

Nilipanda ma3 kwenda town.

Admin 4 hours ago

Rieng

NEW
To leave or go; to move.
Example

Twende, tuko rieng.

Admin 4 hours ago

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