official languagesThe two official languages of Kenya are English and Swahili. Kenya contains 42 ethnic groups, each of which has their own language they know apart from English and Swahili. English is spoken in business, academics, and social events. Swahili is the national language of Kenya and is spoken by everyone.
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Jambo = Hello
Hakuna Matata = No worries Sawa sawa = OK Tafadhali = Please
Asante Sana = Thank you Kwaheri = Bye |
The different ethnic dialects are only used in rural areas and in homes where everyone belongs to the same ethnic group. The three main ethnic languages are Kikuyu, Dholuo, and Luhya.
Kikuyu tribe
DholuoDholuo is spoken by the Luo people. Dholuo is a very pretty and harmonious dialect, so people love to listen to the Luo tribe speak.
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KikuyuKikuyu is the largest ethnic group in Kenya and most Kikuyu own and run their own businesses. Because of this, the Kikuyu language is typically spoken while conducting business.
Luo tribe
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luhyaThe Luhya people speak Luhya. It is a combination of many ethnic dialects that are mutually understood between the Luhya people.
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Luhya tribe
shengSheng is the name of the slang in Kenya. It is a combination of English, Swahili, and all of the ethnic languages. It is spoken by the youth that live in urban, city areas. These young individuals might even be more fluent in Sheng than they are in pure Swahili.
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