Fun

Samia Suluhu Amused that Kenyans Say ‘Kuweka Kidole’ to Mean Signing Agreements

By Jack Joshua

Posted on 8 September 2023

-Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu is the latest to take a swipe at Kenya’s rather crooked Swahili.

The jokes regarding Kenya’s dialect of Swahili have been going on for a while. Tanzanians also struggle to grasp the dialect of Swahili used in Kenya’s highlands.

While the Kiswahili spoken around the Kenyan coast is very clear and understandable to Tanzanians, the dialect used in the interior of the country is heavily influenced by Sheng.

“Hawa Wakenya hawa. Kwenda kusaini mkataba wanasema kuweka kidole mkataba,” said President Samia Suluhu with a cheeky smile. (Kuweka kidole literally means to put a finger.)

President Samia Suluhu joked that Tanzanians had a duty to teach Kenyans how to speak good Swahili.

Suluhu was speaking during the opening of the 13th Africa Food Systems Summit in Dar es Salaam.

President William Ruto, who is in attendance, made light of the fact that Tanzanians speak better Swahili than Kenyans do.

Ruto stated, “Our neighbours are well aware of our poor Swahili skills and how simple it is to defeat us when we debate in Swahili.”

Speaking at the meeting, CNN correspondent Larry Madowo said that Tanzanians and Kenyans were connected.

“We speak broken Swahili to Tanzanians, and they speak broken English to us,” Madowo remarked.

The summit is expected to discuss issues related to innovation, sustainability, and food security.

Raise Samia Hassan alisema wataanza kufunza Wakenya Kiswahili, nikamjibu: “Tunaongelesha waTanzania kwa Kiswahili mbaya, wanatujibu na Kizungu mbaya, tunasonga mbele kama injili.” 🤣

Niliua nyumba pale Dar na Rais William Ruto akamalizia pic.twitter.com/N9yZ92FRVG

— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) September 8, 2023

Among other topics, the leaders will discuss food security and sustainability for both the African continent and the rest of the world.

The summit is taking place in Dar es Salaam at the Julius Nyerere International Conference Centre (JNICC).

The summit’s theme, “Recover, Regenerate, Act: Africa’s Solutions to Food Systems Transformation,” focuses on restoring healthier food systems and food sovereignty with youth and women at the forefront.

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