10 old skul slang names for money

The earliest currency in Kenya, according to the CBK was the Maria Theresa Thalers which were silver coins used in world trade since they were first minted in 1751. The Maria Theresa Thalers found their way to East Africa in the 1800s and were similar to the Spanish Peso hence their being called ‘pesa.’

They were named after Empress Maria Theresa of the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1740 and 1780. Despite their popularity at the coast, the coins didn’t reach the interior until the construction of the Uganda saw Indian Coolies being paid in Rupees which became Kenya’s currency until the Kenya shilling was introduced in 1966.

Money, also called chapaa, niado, munde, mullah, cheddar, dough and mkwanja has had many nicknames and here are 10 forgotten ones:

1. ‘’Oruuro’ Was the street slang for the 5ct coin called’Ndururu.’ Swahili for “light, small, thin, undersize or weak.” Ndururu has little value in the Kenyan economy.

2. ‘Fiyuu’ Was Sheng for 50 cents.

3. ‘Ng’och’ Is Sheng for the 10-cent coin called peni’ Ng’och was fleshed from ‘King’otore’ Kikuyu for coin. The 10 cent has too diminished in use as the value nosed southwards since it was introduced in 1966 alongside the ‘Fiyuu’ and ‘Oruro.’

4. ‘Roo-fia’ Kikuyu slang for 20ct coins-introduced in 1972-with the name being a corruption of ‘Rupee.’ Kaos called it ‘kilovia and the Maasai, ‘Rupiani.’ Coins were the driving force of Kenya’s “kadogo” (small) economy in which goods and services are charged in low denominations affordable by the poor, but the cost of living is such that some had to be discontinued.

5. ‘Kobole’ Was the cornered Sh5 coin that chinked into the economy in 1985. It has since been replaced with a smaller, new generation coin ‘ngovo.’ But still, the cost of repairing torn pockets after surging coins are through with them is higher than the value of the coins, and with commercial banks charging clients for depositing coins saw their diminished use.

6. ‘Ashara’ Was the Sh10 coin that rolled over in 1994. Others called it ‘Ashu’ and ‘Kinde.’

7. ‘Blue’ Was the name given to the blue Sh20 notes that are now out of circulation. The Sh20 coin is called ‘Mbau’ which Kikuyus called ‘Mbauni’ from ‘pound since Sh20 was the equivalent of the British pound in the 1970s.

8. ‘Ruabe’ Was the Sh200 note that was issued in 1986. Others call it ‘Jill.’

9. ‘Jirongo’

Was the name of the Sh500 note that was unwrapped in 1988. So many ‘Punch’ notes were dished out by politician and later Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo during the Youth for Kanu lobby group campaigns in 1992 that they were named after him.

That was the same way the bi-metallic Sh40 coin was issued to commemorate 40 years of independence in 2004 and promptly nicknamed ‘Mama Lucy’ after former First Lady Lucy Kibaki in 2003.

10. ‘Ngwanye’ Is still the Sheng name for the Sh1000 note that was introduced in 1994. Other quarters nickname it ‘Thao,’ ‘Kapa,’ ‘Ndovu (as they featured on the notes),’ ‘G,’ ‘K’ ‘Muti’ (pronounced ‘moote’) and Ngiri.