The good and the bad of Kenya’s pop clichés

Kenyans have found pop clichés that express our negative emotions, from anger to frustration to resignation and defeat – but are these phrases as good for our national psyche as we are wont to believe? Simon Mburu finds out.

‘Bora uhai!’ ‘Utajua hujui!’ ‘Nobody can stop reggae!’

These are some of the most common street clichés in Kenya today. They are often cited on social media platforms, with commentators using them to make light of serious, heart wrenching news and information. Beyond that, they are now part of the country’s dynamic public speech.

HUMOUR

And while they might seem humorous to play around with, their effects as a means of communication are far reaching. But how exactly do they affect our individual and national psyche? This week, we spoke to a few women on how they perceive these phrases, and the way they affect their individual and social approach to issues.

In most cases, we discovered that the majority of these humorous phrases are applied as a defense mechanism. Also, some of these phrases have become a way of relaying warning messages. Take the ‘Utajua hujui’ phrase, which literally means that ‘You’ll know you’re not smart’!

This phrase gained popularity with the rise of the dreaded youth gang known as the Gaza Gang in Nairobi’s Eastlands area. It was used to caution a Gaza Gang female co-leader known as Claire Njoki on Eastlands’ Facebook crime watch groups such as Dandora Crime Free and Kayole Crime Free.

“Umeamua kijiji hawatakaa in peace ukiwa na mbogi yako. Utajua hujui soon! (You’ve decided that people will not live in peace. You and your gang will soon know that you’re not smart!),” read the warning that was issued. She was finally gunned down on May 10 last year.

Since then, the phrase has become synonymous with messages of caution and warning. Incidentally, whichever vernacular language the phrase is translated into, it comes out as a form of warning or caution, which has made it highly popular among Kenyans. “Utajua hujui is a threat or fore warning that something bad is about to happen to you and it will teach you a bitter lesson,” says Jackqueline Akwah, a fashion designer based in Nairobi. “I find it very insensitive of us to use it.”

SLANG

Despite the rise of these phrases, not too many women will play along and inculcate them into their daily formal conversations. Take Dianah Kamande, a mother of two and the founder of a widows and orphans non-governmental organisation. She says that she hardly uses slang words and phrases out of the blue due to the potency that speaking them out holds.

“I believe that every word that comes out of our mouth is powerful. They affect how we think as individuals and how we look at issues as a people. Before I crack a joke or use a phrase, I pause and think about why I am using it and the context I am applying it to,” she says.

She associates the phrase ‘Bora uhai’ with a careless attitude, and sees it as an effort to justify what is seen as immoral or unlawful. “I started hearing this phrase when sex-oriented relationships between young girls and old men started hitting the headlines,” she says.

This is echoed by Natasha Ntalel, a 26-year-old who works in a salon in Githurai. “Bora uhai is the comfort we get for going against the grain to get money and survive. I am in a secret relationship with an elderly man who many people would disapprove of. But life has become hard. I need to survive, and when I contrast his deep pockets with staying broke and hungry, I prefer to have him give me cash. Bora uhai!” she says.

Ms. Ntalel sees nothing wrong with these phrases, saying that Kenyans are a fun people and hence their frequently changing public language patterns.

COMIC PHRASES

But Damaris Muga, a web developer and graphic designer, says that sometimes Kenyans will latch onto a catchphrase without really comprehending why they are using it, and despite its negative effects.

“Sometimes we don’t even know why we are saying them, though we know the effects. For instance, we will insult a man using the phrase ‘uko na umama’. It’s a popular phrase even among women, yet it is very demeaning to womanhood,” she says.

This is also captured by the trendy phrase, ‘lamba lolo’, which is considered offensive due to its sexual connotation. Earlier this year, a kindergarten school van’s name in Nairobi was photo-shopped to read as ‘Lamba Lolo Schools’ instead of ‘Lamba Glory Schools’.

Nonetheless, many women will use comic phrases as a method of coping with pain. “We’d rather resort to comedy instead of recoiling, committing suicide or mourning the state of affairs in our personal and national lives,” says Ms. Muga. “We would rather jest about issues than face them or deal with them.” She adds that this does more harm than good to the country’s mentality. “It reflects badly on us as a people, and shows how so very bad things are.”

JOKES

Evelyne Kasina, the founder and managing director of Eveminet Limited, concurs, saying that some of these phrases are a constant reminder to individual Kenyans that perhaps their collective contribution is not needed by the leadership.

“A phrase like bora uhai betrays hopelessness, especially when something beyond your intervention is done by the leadership. Take the hiked cost of living. Many women have been forced to result to (such) comic phrases as a means of comfort,” she says.

This resonates well with Esther Memoi, a single mother of three. Ms. Memoi runs a fruit and veg stall in Kawangware, Nairobi. “I was living in a one-bedroom house but the rising of rent, electricity prices, charcoal and kerosene has pushed me to a single room. It’s even hard to get soft loans from friends and family to support my business. Everyone says the same thing; pambana na hali yako!” she says.

Currently, apart from other catchy phrases such as ‘If you know you know!’ And ‘Hata sijaskia vibaya!’, Kenyans are also fond of poking tribal-oriented stereotypical jokes. Take the current wave of brain challenge memes. The meme challenge involves the drawing of a tribal head, dividing it into parts, and labelling the parts according to what a tribe is stereotypically famous for. Some of the labelled parts have included theft, sex, politics, and food.

“These are not necessarily a bad thing. But then again, there is always a negative aspect,” says Ms. Muga. “Look at stand-up comedy, here or around the world. Most of the time it revolves around stereotypes. We get to laugh at these stereotypes, which gives us relief from everyday hardships. But sometimes, we cause more damage than relief in the process.”

She singles out the brain memes and says the negative effect is twofold. “I wouldn’t see a problem if you do a meme on the funny side of your culture and traditions. But it is vitriolic for you to create a meme about my culture, traditions, practices and tribe affiliation,” says Muga.

CATCHY

Eunice Njoki, the founder and managing director of Eunema Errands, says that there are people who use these catchy phrases just to avoid having a different opinion from other people involved in the same situation or discussion. “Unfortunately, by conforming, we tone down the seriousness of the issues we are addressing or facing,” she says.

“We vent and summarise our frustrations by shrugging our shoulders in a bora uhai gesture.” She also says that by regularly using these phrases, we not only rob our problems of a degree of seriousness, but also end up resigned to the sentiment that we, as a populace, have no control over our national destiny. “How many times do we complain about corruption and still conclude our complaints with bora uhai? How many people flag illegalities and are told to pambana na hali zao?” she poses.

But she also thinks that the phrases are humorous and sometimes a source of relief. “I will laugh out loud if you use some of these phrases, and maybe I won't serve the situation the attention requires or probably will over provide the attention. But I laugh, because nobody can stop reggae,” she says.

Ms. Akwah says that there is a need to balance between the humorous and the serious. ‘I wish we can think twice before we tell some of these phrases to people. If I am in a fix and you tell me bora uhai, I will see it as a form of arrogance towards my situation,” she says.

This is supported by Ms. Kamande, who says that there are people who go on to use popular phrases without knowing what they mean. “I wish we would imitate less, and be more concerned about the effects we dish out with our humour,” she says.