Kenyans are known to be creative, especially on social media. On platforms such as Twitter, Kenyans under the umbrella of (Kenyans on Twitter) are known to come up with hilarious phrases and memes.
2022 was no different as several phrases trended online and united Kenyans even as the country went through a tense election and battled other challenges such as the high cost of living and drought.
In this article, we outline some of the viral phrases that dominated Kenyan trends in 2022:
1. Murife Don’t Run
The phrase came up after a video of a woman surfaced online telling a young man not to run even though he was being pursued by a dog.
In their usual habit, Kenyans jumped on the trend and created hilarious videos around the phrase.
“Murife don’t run” dominated social media trends for months, making it one of the most popular phrases in Kenya in 2022.
You can watch some of the video clips here.
2. Enda Uskie Vibaya na Uko
The phrase was coined by popular radio presenter King Kalala. It loosely translates to “Go feel bad there”.
The phrase resonated with many, especially those who wanted to stay away from negative energy.
Here are some of the top posts made using the phrase.
King Kalala- creator of enda uskie vibaya na uko phrase. [Photo: Courtesy]
3. Mapema Ndio Best
This loosely translates to “Early is the best”. It was coined by party lovers as a rallying call to always start/arrive early at parties.
In September, Kenyan musicians; Gwaash, K4kanali and OnlyOneDelo released a song dubbed ‘Mapema Nadir Best’, thus further propelling the slogan.
The phrase has, however, evolved and is used in literally all situations.
Here are some of the tweets that have used the phrase.
4. Sina Maoni
The phrase came up during the August 9, 2022, general election when a voter was asked to give his opinion on live TV and hilariously responded “Maoni yangu ni ati sina maoni (my opinion is that I don’t have an opinion).”
The phrase went viral with some Kenyans even opting to print t-shirts with the man’s image accompanied by the viral phrase.
Here are some of the tweets under that trend:
5. Hii imeenda
The phrase was coined by Suna East MP June Mohammed during the August 9, 2022, presidential election campaigns.
While campaigning in Kericho, Junet expressed confidence that ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga would win the election and repeatedly said “Hii Imeenda” which loosely translates to “this is gone”.
To his surprise, Odinga did not win the election, making Junet the subject of ridicule online.
Meanwhile, the phrase evolved and was used in several scenarios to depict something that has gained new ownership or persons who have left the singles club.
6. Mambo ni Mengi... Masaa ni Machache
This one emphasised the need for being time conscious in the things we do. The phrase simply means there is a lot to be done, but time is little, therefore, you need to maximise and ensure you do as much as possible within the limited time.
7. Semeni Dynasty Mbaya, Hasora Ataware
This phrase was coined by former President Uhuru Kenyatta ahead of the August 9, 2022 election.
While drumming up support for Odinga, Uhuru took issue with the dynasty tag that had been attached to him and other Azimio leaders.
The phrase because so popular and is still being used online, especially when netizens want to rekindle the words of the former president.
You can watch the video here:
Other popular phrases that dominated Kenyan trends include; Kata sim tupo site, Azimio Harooo, Raira ni Msarendo, Hiyo ni Uwongo and Pulahia Maisa among others.
