CNN journalist Larry Madowo sparked a compelling discussion among both Kenyans and Tanzanians when he presented a thought-provoking query. Larry, via his post on X platform, shared images of Kenyan and Tanzanian currency notes, highlighting a linguistic discrepancy. Specifically, the Kenyan note featured the Swahili translation for “bank” as ‘banki,’ whereas the Tanzanian note used the term ‘benki.’ Larry encouraged the audience to discern which translation adhered to Swahili grammar rules.
Tanzanians promptly weighed in, challenging Kenyans for adopting a nonexistent Swahili word and insisting that the correct translation for “bank” was ‘benki.’ Unable to counter this linguistic argument, Kenyans shifted their focus to criticize Tanzanians for possessing a weaker currency. Their argument asserted that, while Tanzanian notes may be grammatically accurate, the real significance lies in the currency’s value.
Kenyans, renowned for their resilience, asserted that they would not concede even in a debate over grammatical correctness in broad daylight. They contended that, given the choice, no one would prefer a grammatically correct note over a stronger currency! Recalling a similar debate in 2019, the Kenyan Central Bank found itself compelled to clarify that the term ‘benki’ was indeed grammatically correct. However, they deliberately opted for the alternative term, citing historical and linguistic alignment as their rationale.
