Karen Nyamu shares how her Eastland background affects how she translates English to Swahili
By Katemarthason Okudo, September 23, 2026Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has spoken about her struggle with translating her thoughts from English to Kiswahili, saying Sheng was the first language she became comfortable with while growing up in Nairobi’s Eastlands.
Nyamu made the remarks in a post shared on her Instagram page on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, after speaking in Kiswahili while contributing to discussions on the Fisheries Management and Development Bill during the Senate’s activities in Kilifi County. The Senate was holding its proceedings and engagements in Kilifi as part of Senate Mashinani.
In a video accompanying the post, Nyamu is seen speaking Kiswahili as she explains her views on the fisheries legislation.
Nyamu says Sheng was her first language
Nyamu said switching from English to Kiswahili while putting her thoughts together was not easy because of the language she grew up speaking in Nairobi.
She described herself as an “Eastlands babe”, explaining that Sheng was more familiar to her than formal Kiswahili.
“The problem is that I am from Eastlands, babe. My first language is Sheng. Translating English to Swahili in my head was the struggle, but I have tried,” she said.
Sheng is widely associated with Nairobi’s urban youth and developed through the interaction of different languages, including Kiswahili and English. Its use has also spread beyond informal settings over the years.
‘As a Kanairo babe growing up in Eastlands’
Nyamu has spoken about how her upbringing in Nairobi shaped how she understood her identity. In one of her reflections about growing up in Eastlands, she described herself as a “Kanairo babe” and said she did not initially think about her ethnic identity in the way she does today.
“As a Kanairo babe growing up in Eastlands, I didn’t even know I was Kikuyu,” she said.
Her comments point to the way growing up in a diverse urban environment can shape how people identify themselves, particularly when everyday interactions are based more on neighbourhood and shared culture than ethnic background.
For Nyamu, Eastlands was therefore an important part of her early identity, with Sheng forming part of the language environment around her.
Nyamu and the ‘Umoja Roots’ identity
Nyamu has also used the phrase “Umoja Roots” when speaking about her connection to the part of Nairobi where she grew up.
Her references to Umoja and Eastlands have become part of how she talks about her background, particularly when discussing the difference between her Nairobi upbringing and her Kikuyu heritage.
The contrast has also featured in her public persona, where she often combines formal political settings with the more casual language and expressions associated with Nairobi.
Nyamu’s public persona
Nyamu’s public image has often included a mix of political discussions, social media posts, and a conversational style that reflects her Nairobi background.
Her latest post was different from the usual political language associated with parliamentary debates, as she openly joked about the challenge of expressing herself in Kiswahili.
The senator’s comments also came as the Senate engaged with matters affecting coastal communities, including fisheries, during its week of activities in Kilifi.