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What language is spoken in Nairobi?

Kenya has two official languages and Nairobi is the capital of the country. English and Kiswahili are the two official languages.

However, none of the languages are labeled as exclusive to Nairobi.

Of the two national languages, you are most likely to hear Kiswahili spoken more than English in Nairobi. Unless you are in some of the very high-end neighborhoods, English is spoken the most even in everyday communication.

Aside from Nairobi's Central Business District, some areas of Nairobi are often described as Eastlands and Westlands.

Westlands includes the high-end neighborhoods of Kilimani, Rawdon, Parklands, Kittisuru and Musaga. Here, you will probably hear more English than Swahili.

On the other hand, in Eastlands, which is usually considered a low to middle income neighborhood, Kiswahili is the most common of the two national languages.

In addition to the local language, Eastlands is also known as the place where Shing slang originated. Sheng slang is mainly a combination of English and Kiswahili. The slang is so unique that many people in other parts of Kenya find it difficult to understand it.

In short, the most widely spoken languages in Nairobi are English and Kiswahili. Whether you are in Eastlands, Westlands or the Central Business District, you can easily speak English in Nairobi because everyone understands it.

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