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.

Mse

NEW
A guy, dude, or person. From "mse" for a fellow.
Example

Yule mse ni poa.

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Sonko

NEW
A rich person or a boss.
Example

Yule mse ni sonko.

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Buda

NEW
Father, or an older man addressed casually.
Example

Buda amerudi kazi.

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Mathe

NEW
Mother, or an older woman.
Example

Mathe anakuita.

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Ganji

NEW
Money.
Example

Sina ganji leo.

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Chapaa

NEW
Money; cash.
Example

Kazi ni kutafuta chapaa.

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Doo

NEW
Money.
Example

Hakuna doo mfukoni.

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Thao

NEW
One thousand shillings.
Example

Nilitumia thao moja.

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Mbao

NEW
Twenty shillings.
Example

Nipe mbao nitanunua maji.

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Chuma

NEW
A car; also can mean a weapon.
Example

Amenunua chuma mpya.

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Manzi

NEW
A girl or young woman.
Example

Yule manzi ni msee poa.

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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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