u/Lower-Knee-8585

🇰🇪 Kenya

• Kikuyu: Wĩ mwega? (Are you well?)
• Luo: Nadi? (How are you?)
• Luhya: Mulembe (Peace/Hello)
• Kamba: Wakyaa?
• Kalenjin: Chamgei?
• Maasai: Supa!
• Meru: Uga?
• Embu: Wega?
• Mijikenda: Salama?
• Turkana: Ejoka?
• Samburu: Supa!
• Swahili: Hujambo? / Habari? / Mambo?

🇹🇿 Tanzania

• Jambo
• Hujambo?
• Habari?
• Shikamoo (Respectful greeting to elders)
• Marahaba (Response to Shikamoo)
• Sukuma: Shikamoo
• Chagga: Shikamoo

🇺🇬 Uganda

• Luganda: Oli otya?
• Runyankole: Agandi?
• Ateso: Ejoka?

🇷🇼 Rwanda

• Kinyarwanda: Muraho

🇧🇮 Burundi

• Kirundi: Amakuru?

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

• Amharic: Selam
• Oromo: Akkam jirtu?
• Tigrinya: Selam

🇸🇴 Somalia

• Iska warran?
• Nabad?

🇸🇸 South Sudan

• Dinka: Male?
• Nuer: Male?

🇪🇷 Eritrea

• Tigrinya: Selam

🇳🇬 Nigeria

• Hausa: Sannu
• Yoruba: Ẹ káàrọ̀ (Good morning)
• Ẹ káàsán (Good afternoon)
• Ẹ káalẹ́ (Good evening)
• Igbo: Kedu?
• Tiv: Msoo
• Kanuri: Lafiya?

🇬🇭 Ghana

• Akan (Twi): Maakye
• Maaha
• Maadwo
• Ewe: Ŋdi na?
• Ga: Ojekoo

🇸🇳 Senegal

• Wolof: Nanga def?

🇬🇲 Gambia

• Mandinka: I be di?

🇲🇱 Mali

• Bambara: I ni sogoma

🇧🇫 Burkina Faso

• Moore: Ne y yibeogo

🇳🇪 Niger

• Hausa: Sannu

🇧🇯 Benin

• Fon: Fofo

🇹🇬 Togo

• Ewe: Ŋdi na?

🇨🇩 DR Congo

• Lingala: Mbote
• Kikongo: Mbote

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

• Lingala: Mbote

🇦🇴 Angola

• Kimbundu: Wakolapo?
• Kikongo: Yemba

🇿🇦 South Africa

• Zulu: Sawubona
• Xhosa: Molo
• Ndebele: Lotjhani
• Sesotho: Dumela
• Setswana: Dumela
• Tsonga: Avuxeni
• Venda: Ndaa
• Afrikaans: Goeie môre / Hallo

🇱🇸 Lesotho

• Dumela

🇧🇼 Botswana

• Dumela

🇳🇦 Namibia

• Oshiwambo: Wa uhala po?
• Herero: Moro

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

• Shona: Mhoro
• Ndebele: Salibonani

🇿🇲 Zambia

• Bemba: Muli shani?
• Lozi: Kuli buti?
• Tonga: Mwapona buti?

🇲🇼 Malawi

• Chichewa: Moni

🇲🇿 Mozambique

• Makhuwa: Mwaisani
• Portuguese: Olá

🇨🇲 Cameroon

• French: Bonjour
• Fulfulde: Jam na?

🇹🇩 Chad

• Arabic: Salam Alaikum
• French: Bonjour

🇸🇩 Sudan

• Salam Alaikum

🇲🇷 Mauritania

• Salam Alaikum

🇩🇯 Djibouti

• Afar: Nabad
• Somali: Iska warran?

One of my favorite greetings is Sawubona (Zulu), which means "I see you." Another is Mulembe (Luhya), meaning "Peace." Across many African cultures, greetings are more than just "hello" they acknowledge a person's presence, health, dignity, and place in the community.

I'm a native Kenyan who's lived through the everyday realities of life here; from the cost of living, education, job hunting, transport, politics, food, culture, and technology to what daily life actually feels like beyond the headlines.

Life has become so much unbearable here.

If you've ever wondered what it's really like to live in Kenya, whether you're curious about our economy, wildlife, traditions, cities, dating, languages, or anything else, ask away. I'll answer honestly from my own experience and perspective, and if I don't know something, I'll say so.

It's the embrace I love,

Of people I hold dear.

That hold that drives away fear,

From the limbs that bring hope.

It's the memories I love,

Of parties in solemn swear.

Sweet occasions for loves sake,

That what is passing goes in a similar route.

It's the smile I love,

As we stare into each other's eyes.

The motivation from the little we do,

That even this will pass and lights will shine at last.

It's the calmness I promise to love,

After victory from the battle fields.

How together for each other we win the race,

Breathe after breathe we kill the pace.