Home » Luhya Culture » Hilarious! 40+ Of Your Favorite Emoji in Bukusu for everyday social media use
image featuring diferent face emoji

Hilarious! 40+ Of Your Favorite Emoji in Bukusu for everyday social media use

Emojis have become much more than tools of communication between friends and family. Today, the value of emojis even in marketing businesses online is well recognized. While emojis are a universal language, more and more groups of friends and even communities are coming up with clever ways of making them their own. As this impressive list of 40+ emoji in Bukusu reveals, adoption of emojis to local langauges has led to a whole new way of communication.


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We love emojis because they help us communicate everyday things in the shortest way possible. Emojis have made it possible to communicate complex things, and as we shall see with this list, sayings and clever expressions. Lets learn Lubukusu, laugh and find the meaning of popular bukusu sayings with these re-imagined common emojis.

Meaning of Popular People and Smileys Emoji in Bukusu


face laughing with tears coming out emoji

Ese fwaa

Ese fwaa means I am dying in Lubukusu. When you are dying of joy, this is the emoji to express how you are feeling.

smilling emoji with eyes closed

Khakhakhakha

This is how to laugh in Luhya. The emphasis here is on the “Kh’ sound as opposed to the “he” sound in hehehe he sound of contemporary times.

thinking face emojis in bukusu

Pebhebhebhe

Pronounced Pe.bhe.bhe.bhe is an expression of astonishment tempered with thoughtfulness. The Swahili equivalent is Salaale! and Oh my God! In English

neutral face emoji in bukusu

Kipoki ne kiloli

Just giving eyes. This emoji in Bukusu expresses those moments when all one can do is look on. Breathe and look on as the situation unfolds. Those moments when you can only lend both eyes to the unraveling situation without comment nor offering to help.

? Nyo pebhe

laughing face emoji in bukusu

Bunulu njire

The internet has this emoji as ROFL ( Rolling On the Floor Laughing). In Bukusu, it’s bunulu njire. Literally, ‘sweetness kill me’. It speaks of that feeling when you have front seats to a show where your enemies are falling one at a time, like a slow motion reel of collapsing dominos.

face with stuck out tongue emoji in bukusu

Kakhumanya wamwene

Have you ever been caught in an awkward situation where you are gossiping someone only for the subject of the gossip to walk on you? In such situations, the guilty party caught in the act often tries to shift and share blame with their fellow gossip. The gossip mate then kakhumanya wamwene to exonerate themselves from the crime. This emoji in Bukusu is the Swahili equivalent of: shauri yako.

emoji of a face rolling eyes and mouth turned in disgust

Asa!/ Aseno!

Asa or aseno are words used by close friends to taunt each other. They express disinterest in what is being said, often feigning a don’t care attitude to throw the other party off trail. Millennials and generation X might vocalize it as : Whatever! Nairobians have it as: Mscheew!

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Munwa kwase bireyi

Munwa kwase bireyi . My mouth turn this way. The meaning of this emoji in Bukusu refers to a phrase that you mutter to yourself when you wish to make a mental note not to comment on a hot issue. In as much as you may be itching to speak your mind, turns out it’s better not to, lest you cause more trouble.

unamused face emoji in bukusu

Busilu mukhuru

Biggest fool you are. So asinine you are that if stupidity could flow, your ears would be purulent dripping. Ah, I have got no words for you.

meaning of smiling face with sunglasses emoji in bukusu

Kimikiyo oli kutete khwikongwe

This is what you are like when you’ve got your stunners game right, flexing your kimikiyo (eye wear) – literally big windows. Its when your stuntin’ like kutete (grasshopper). The simile here playing with comparisons between the look that sunglasses bestow and the compound eyes of grasshoppers. And not just any grasshopper but one that’s chilling, balancing its act, on a sisal rope (khwikongwe).

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Luno kanyolile nga kakanyola embichi musipwoni

This emoji in Bukusu surmises a common Bukusu saying that expresses the desperateness of being caught flat footed. When you are busted with nowhere to hide.Caught pants down like a pig (embichi) devouring sweet potatoes vines in a plantation. Found smack in a sticky situation, the pig attempts in vain to hide in the low lying vegetative cover of sweet potato vines.

man walking away emoji

Mumiba rwaap!

This phrase is used by people who wish to stay out of trouble. In a hot social media thread, some members of the group may opt to ‘left’ the conversation. Others may say ‘mumiba rwaap’ to mean I’m not commenting but I am closely ‘following’ the thread.

emoji of a dancing woman

Khukhwipristiokola

Khukhwipristiokola is Bungoma slang that means that a person is feeling like a million dollars. Or making calculated steps like a cat, sashaying away, to ensure everyone notices. Like when a woman tries to catch a potential partner’s attention; or a model strutting her stuff on the runway.

Kalaa mumabeka 

When you need to console someone who is jealous of another person. This emoji in Bukusu says : “Chill out. This is my turn. Sorry, wait for yours”.

Khwikhupa bilaa.

Bilaa in Lubukusu are small bushes, mostly guava shrubs. This phrase is used when one abdicates their duties. Eg a man impregnates a woman and doesn’t support her. He is considered kekhupa bilaa.

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Bikhupa makokhe

A ghost. Popular ghost characters in Bukusu folklore. Bikhupa makokhe particularity were spirits that were said to come from Masaba.

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Kipoki ne kiloli

Similar in meaning to the one above. This emoji is used by silent listeners or followers of a thread on social media.

Bamakombe

Bamakombe is what you’ll see if you failed to honor your loved ones a fitting send off as per Bukusu death rituals. Remember the story of a family which had to contend with their mother’s ghost every time they needed to prepare a meal?

kumoyo kwe lisa

This emoji means dark heart. One realizes the burden of being labeled a ‘dark heart’ in the land of mulembe. During the campaigns for Bungoma governor in 2017, a Kimilili politician, now a CEC in Wangamati’s government did much damage to the former governor’s campaign. Moyo kwe lisa he would label the incumbent.


Poplar Animals and Nature Emoji in Bukusu for Social Media use


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Chisoni njire

Shame kill me. This is a phrase for the ashamed. In Bukusu land, it is used by those ashamed of themselves for their acts (shifwabi). Like an ostrich burying its head in sand, by being blind to their shifwabi, they may think nobody can see their shameful acts.

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Oli khaba maru kaba matakho

This emoji is used when one publicly embarrasses himself. The audience is left helpless. They wish the speaker would save face if he kept quiet. The audience will be wishing their ears were buttocks to sit on rather than enduring listening to balderdash.

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Wanajusi kiekelula

Wananjusi kiekelula translates to foxes turning on each other. When people conspire to bring down another, such a caucus can be equated to a pack of wolves (enjusi). When the pack begins to disintegrate and starts letting out secrets and their evil plans, the foxes are considered to be turning against themselves.

Enjekeche

Enjekeche is porcupine.

Khusungwacha buneke.

Khusungwacha buneke means dangling balls – the kahunas variety not lifundo. This phrase is used among boys of an age-set to tease each other. Lets say one of the boys got stood up on a date by a girl. His peers tease him stating that they thought he was getting lucky, yet he was just khusungwacha buneke – dangling his balls, waiting for nothing.

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Emini /Sibuno/sia wacheke

Booty. Like in shake that emini that yo’ mama gave you.

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khendia khu biange wumbolela sssss

This emoji in Bukusu translates to “I am eating mine, what can you tell me?” This phrase is used by well-to-do persons telling off would be self appointed advisors to ‘meza wembe”. To take a chill pill, pick the best seats in the house and watch as he, “weka kwa meno”, plunder his hard work in peace.


Activity and Sport Emoji in Bukusu


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Lifundo

Let’s play a game. I’ll ask a question, leave the room, fly to the moon and back; and chances are you’ll still wouldn’t have the answer. Here it goes: Who is the most famous Bukusu lifundo player? No, Kadenge is Maragoli. The Wanyama brothers are Basamia if not Bakhayo. Allan Wanga is, well, Wanga. Jesse Were, maybe? Anyway, let’s just cut the chase:

Did you know that part of the legend of Elijah Masinde of Dini Ya Musambwa was that he kicked a football so high that it disappeared into the heavens? Those were the days before this freedom fighter crossed paths with Quaker missionaries who attempted to evangelized to him. Not only was Elijah Masinde captain of Bukusu FC, but also represented Kenya in the infamous Gossage cup.

Khupa khupa bubi

I’m gonna beat you bad.

Ako ngorwa

Means I don’t care. I’m not even a single bit concerned. Sips tea.

khukhwepitisia oli chumbe mumaengele

You are all over the place like salt on boiled maize; is that directly translated. This phrase is used to describe overbearing, all-over-the-place kind of individuals. In street Swahili, we call them “vihereres”. On the other hand, kamaengele is boiled maize in Lubukusu. Usually, boiled maize can either be under or over seasoned. For what it’s worth better the former of the two situations. Needless to mention, kamaengele is a meal for the hard times. It’s a meal of pain. It’s a meal for the food insecure and too much salt just makes it worse. This emoji in Bukusu is for those who think they know it all.

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Mubitasi riaaap!

Bitasi are rugs in Lubukusu. The less privileged sleep on rugs. This phrase is used to playfully announce that you are getting into your not so comfortable bed for the night.

guitar emoji

Litungu lifumianga orungile

He who pays the piper hears the tune. Or rather, the litungu sings the praises of one who has paid its strummer.

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Kamafwi ka sibuyi

What the this emoji represents is plain to the eye. The meaning of this emoji in Bukusu is qualified by timing. The stinging abuse being the perception that human excreta deposited in the morning are well, more smelly having ‘fermented’ throughout the night. It is also of larger quantities and demanding more effort in the vulsalva maneuver to dump.

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Fort Kenya Simba

Not the American car manufacturer, nor does the common meaning of this emoji, peace/peace out, suffice. This emoji in Bukusu symbolizes the kutalang’i party. Once home to the vision of eminent Bukusu politicians no less than Wamalwa Kijana, Wakoli Bifwoli, Muskari Kombo, Mukhisa Kituyi and George Kapten. Now like most political parties in Kenya, it’s today more or less an individual’s concern- Moses Masika Wetang’ula .

Object Emoji in Bukusu

emoji of a coffin

Afwile ebikele ne emurwe babana baliyo

His/her feet has died, at his head children thrive. This phrase is used to describe a successful sleeping hero. A man or woman of honour worth his salt who has died. This phrase honours a man or woman who has toiled to raise fine men and women. One who even after their demise, his children carry the flag high into the next generation. Only his feet die, his head is alive with his children.

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Khamocha lukongo

The one that has defeated land. Means an automobile.

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Kumubano kwo mukhebi!

Caller: Namunayi (riddle riddle)

Respondent: Kwiche (riddle come)

Caller: Pilipili manga (hot pepper)

Respondent: Kumubano kwo mukhebi (the circumciser`s knife)

This Bukusu riddle equates red hot pepper with the pain adolescent boys felt when undergoing circumcision. Our eulogy of Ngori the Maragoli circumciser showed us that not all hands are the same. Some circumciser’s hands are ‘more painful’.

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Limotole/Kamang`ondo

Pesa otas. Money in the bank.

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Kangali mwichunga, mwichunga bulwale buli silimu

Take care, take care there is a disease called slim. Some of the gems on here are in Mulembe Nation are our commentaries on how Luhya folk tells us about our forefather’s knowledge of modern medical disciplines and science. This piece on medical anthropology and a Maragoli folktale; and this one on epidemiology and a Maragoli saying remain our favorites. But this title of a song fits up this alley. The song is a Bukusu circumcision anthem warning people to be sexually responsible to avoid getting infected with HIV/AIDS aka Slim.

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Khunyanya bitabu

A well read person is said to have “khunyanya bitabu”, to have eaten books.

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Kurekeresia eretio

We people of Mulembe love the radio. We take pride in sending greetings over the radio. And as any Kenyan knows, we love some patanisho and football commentary.


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