What Language do they speak in Nairobi?
Want to know what language is spoken in Nairobi? You’re in the right place.
Nairobi the capital city of Kenya, is the first place most international guests land. As the largest city in Kenya, it’s a melting pot of cultures as locals move to the city in search of better opportunities.
With over 68 languages spoken in Kenya, you may wonder what language do they speak in Nairobi.
Knowing what language is spoken in your destination is important. It helps you know what language to use on translation apps and in learning some basic phrases.
Luckily for you, I live in Nairobi, as a local I’m your best guide and I’ve created this ultimate guide to languages spoken in Nairobi.
So let’s dive into it!
What Language do they speak in Nairobi?
There are two official languages in Kenya, which Nairobi is the capital city of. English and Swahili are the two official languages.
English is the most common language in offices and is used in school teaching. Swahili or Kiswahili, commonly referred to in Kenya, is the lingua franca.
However, there isn’t one language that would be marked as an exclusive language of Nairobi. As mentioned earlier, Nairobi is where everyone comes in search of greener pastures.
Everyone brings along their cultures and languages to the city. People from the same region often use their local dialects in daily interactions. You will hear a lot of different languages while walking on the streets of Nairobi, especially downtown areas.
Between the two national languages, you are most likely to hear Swahili spoken more than English in Nairobi. Unless you are in a few very high-end neighborhoods where English is most spoken even in casual interactions.
Besides the central business area of Nairobi, it’s common to hear areas of Nairobi described as Eastlands and Westlands.
Westlands comprises high-end neighborhoods such as Kilimani, Lavington, Parklands, Kitisuru, and Muthaiga among others. Here you are likely to hear more English spoken than Swahili.
On the other hand, in Eastlands often seen as the middle to low-income neighborhoods, Swahili is the most common of the two national languages.
In addition to the local languages, Eastlands is also known as the origin of sheng slang. Sheng slang is mostly formed by combining English and Swahili. A slang so unique that many people from other parts of Kenya have a hard time understanding it.
In summary, the most spoken languages in Nairobi are English and Swahili. Whether you are in the Eastlands, Westlands, or the CBD, you will easily get around Nairobi speaking English as everyone understands the language.
Do they speak English in Nairobi?
Yes, English is spoken widely in Nairobi. As a former British colony, English was adopted as the first official national language. English is widely spoken and understood in Nairobi.
Official documents are in English, government websites are also in English making it easy to visit. Taking an Uber from the airport, you can converse with your driver.
Even in most local places in Nairobi signs and posters are in English. In the markets where most people don’t use English for daily interaction, you’ll still find announcements posted made in English.
English is used in school teaching in Kenya. Kids start learning English as early as preschool. Keep in mind that a few people may however not be very fluent in speaking it but they’ll still understand.
As a visitor, you’ll rarely find anyone who doesn’t speak or understand English. Attraction signs are in English, and guides and employees at all establishments use English.
If you love to go off the beaten path and deep into the less visited areas then chances of finding someone that isn’t fluent in English are higher. That being said, learning a few Swahili words will help you connect with locals.
But to answer the question, whether you are going on a guided safari at the Nairobi National Park or buying a drink at the local shop, you’ll be able to converse in English without any problem.
Useful Swahili Phrases to Use in Nairobi
Swahili is the second official language in Kenya and lingua franca across the country. As mentioned earlier, you are more likely to hear locals communicate in Swahili than in English. Learning a few basic Swahili words will put a smile on locals’ faces and help you connect better.
| English | Swahili |
| Casual greatings: Hi | Sasa or Mambo (response to both: Poa) |
| My name is … | Jina langu ni … |
| What is your name? | Jina lako nani? |
| Goodbye | Kwaheri |
| Please | Tafadhali |
| Thank you | Asante |
| Yes | Ndio |
| No | La or hapana |
| Excuse me | Samahani |
| Sorry | Pole |
| Food | Chakula |
| Water | Maji |
| Welcome | Karibu |
| Okay | Sawa |
| I don’t understand… | Sielewi |
| Let’s go | Twende |
| I’m going to… | Naenda… |
| See you tomorrow *tomorrow | Tuonane kesho *Kesho |
If you’ve traveled to Tanzania or Zanzibar before visiting Kenya, you’ll notice Swahili in Kenya seems a bit relaxed, especially in casual interactions.
In addition, some words may carry different meanings in each country. For instance, in Tanzania, the word ‘bibi‘ means ‘grandmother‘ while in Kenya it means ‘wife‘.
In Tanzania, locals use the word ‘naomba’ when buying something from shops, For example, naomba soda mbili – please give me 2 sodas. In Kenya, if you say the same to a shopkeeper, they’ll think you are borrowing with no intention of paying for the sodas.
To Tanzanians, Kenyan Swahili is very casual, and to Kenyans, Tanzanian Swahili can be complicated. This has led to both parties often poking fun at the other in a light way of course. But most importantly both countries can still communicate using Swahili.
So if you know Swahili from Tanzania, you can still use it in Nairobi. But maybe not the very complicated words such as; shombe shombe, kiranga 🙂
What language do they speak in Nairobi: FAQ
Below are some questions related to languages spoken in Nairobi along with my answers.
The two official languages in Nairobi are English and Swahili. Swahili is the most spoken language outside formal settings.
Yes, English is common in Nairobi, especially in official settings. It is common in schools and offices.
Over 68% of Nairobi speaks and understands English. Nairobi has ranked top in most English proficient speakers and writers in Africa.
Yes, Kenyans are fluent in English. Kenyans start learning and speaking English as soon as they join pre-school. Kenya ranks second in Africa in most fluent English speakers after South Africa.
You can simply say ‘hello’ or ‘hi’ in English. In swahili you say habari yako, sasa, or mambo. The response in Swahili is ‘poa’ meaning ‘I’m fine or I’m good’
In swahili, ‘thank you’ is ‘asante’. When someone says ‘Asante sana’ it means ‘thank you very much’
Conclusion
And there you have it, a complete guide to what language do they speak in Nairobi.
The two official languages used in Nairobi are English and Swahili. Swahili is widely spoken and most common than English.
There are over 30 languages spoken in Nairobi as locals hail from all parts of Kenya.
Whether you choose to learn some basic Swahili or stick to English, you’ll have no trouble conversing with locals in Nairobi. Enjoy your trip!
