Vincent Mboya recently returned to the online scene after a long break, but what caught people’s attention wasn’t just his update — it was how much he struggled to speak Kiswahili. In a short video posted online, the content creator, now based in Canada, appeared to have lost touch with the language, despite having been away from Kenya for less than two years.
In the clip, Mboya tried addressing his followers in Kiswahili, but his speech came across as broken and mixed heavily with English. He seemed aware of his struggles, admitting upfront that his Kiswahili wasn’t as strong as before. He asked his fans to leave their comments in English so he could understand and respond better. His message was straightforward: he’d been offline for a while because of a busy schedule but assured everyone that he was doing well and planned to resume content creation soon.
However, what should have been a simple update turned into a viral moment, largely because of the way he delivered it. His Kiswahili, once fluent, now sounded like someone learning the language anew. This shift left many of his followers amused, confused, and even slightly critical. It sparked a wave of reactions across social media, with users questioning how someone could lose grasp of a native language in such a short time.
Some people were sympathetic, understanding that living in a country where Kiswahili isn’t spoken might affect fluency over time. Mboya mentioned that he’s surrounded by speakers of English, Spanish, and French in Toronto, and this has greatly reduced his chances of speaking Kiswahili regularly. He even revealed that he is actively looking for a Kiswahili tutor to help him relearn and reconnect with the language.
Others, however, were skeptical and believed he might be exaggerating or simply putting on a show to regain online attention. A few felt it was a strategy to stay relevant or spark conversation. Jokes and memes quickly followed, with some suggesting he now needs a translator when he visits Kenya, while others teased him about his “new accent.”
Still, the situation highlighted a real challenge many face when living abroad — language attrition. When you’re constantly immersed in a different linguistic environment, it’s possible to start losing fluency in your native tongue, especially if it’s not used regularly in daily communication.
Regardless of the mixed reactions, Mboya’s return did what content often aims to do — spark conversation. Whether it was genuine, performative, or somewhere in between, the moment got people talking, and that’s exactly what keeps public figures like him in the spotlight. For now, he’s back online, brushing up on his Kiswahili, and promising to stay connected with his audience — preferably in English, at least until he sharpens his Swahili skills again.
