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.

Form

NEW
To be in good spirits or ready; also to show off.
Example

Niko form leo.

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Aje

NEW
How; used in greetings like "uko aje?" (how are you?).
Example

Uko aje leo?

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Msapere

NEW
A person from the Kikuyu community (informal).
Example

Yule msee ni msapere.

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Wantam

NEW
One term; used politically to mean a single term in office.
Example

Watu wanasema wantam.

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Rada

NEW
To be aware or in the know; "you get me?".
Example

Uko rada na story yenyewe?

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Kudonga

NEW
To eat or to have a meal.
Example

Twende tukadonga chakula.

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Odi

NEW
Home or a place of residence.
Example

Twende odi tupumzike.

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Ndai

NEW
A car.
Example

Amepark ndai nje.

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Maze

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An exclamation like "man!" or "wow", expressing surprise.
Example

Maze, hiyo ni ngori!

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Noma

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Something bad, tough, or intense; can also mean cool depending on context.
Example

Hiyo story ni noma sana.

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Fiti

NEW
Fit, fine, cool, or in good shape.
Example

Everything iko fiti.

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Boss

NEW
A term of respect for a friend, peer, or someone you respect.
Example

Sasa boss, uko aje?

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