The Top Kenyan Songs of All-Time - Starting Eleven

I asked my Kenyan friends to name their top 5 songs ever, from Kenya. My Kenyan alter-ego, David Ochieng Mwangi, also contributed, thanks to all he has learnt around Museke. I also asked Google Gemini (yes, not Meta AI, Chat GPT, Grok, Deepseek, or POE - because, I asked it through Google Sheets). You know it is my friend these days right? I also contributed my top 5, while reminiscing this list from 2009.

My first time in Kenya was in 2011. But prior to that, since 2002, I had been learning about Kenyan music from my Kenyan friends at MIT. I got to know more about this when me, Edward Mabonga and others started Museke in 2006. It was great to see some of my friends suggest songs that we were jamming to back in the day.

I wanted to do a list of top 5, but there are too many songs. So I have aggregated 11, to represent Kenya in the World Cup of #MusicWeDeyFeel. The starting eleven. Drop your opinions, props, suggestions in the comments section. Here we go, in no particular order, you can suggest who plays centre forward, sweeper, maestro, left wing back or goalkeeper in the comments. 

Sura Yako - Sauti Sol (2015)

This song easily won the poll and survey. Sauti Sol is probably the best band or music group from Kenya, period. By the time I went to Kenya, they already had this title. I mean, Bien has bossing it with his solo career too. 

Jambo Bwana - Them Mushrooms (1982)

Surprised to see this here? Why shouldn't it be here? Kenya is well-known for its tourism sector, and this is way beyond Nairobi. This is a hugely popular song, known by Kenyans and foreigners alike.

Malaika - Fadhili Williams (1960)

When the queen of African music herself (Miriam Makeba) remixes or covers this, you know your song is extremely popular and has crossed continents. I mean, even 1 of the most successful and popular Mzansi music groups took this Malaika name too. From the Swahili I have learnt and still remember, Malaika means Angel. 

Chaguo La Mayo - Otile Brown (2018)

Okay, this song features Sanaipei Tande. "Mrembo sana!" She became my rafiki too hehe. Otile Brown popularized R&Bish music more in Kenya thanks to YouTube.

Umbwogable - Gidi gidi maji maji (2002)

This song was all sorts of cool when it came out. It came out during my first year of MIT when I was being initiated properly into Kenyan music. It is undefeated. David nodded his head. Shout out to Makmende though.

Malaika - Nyashinski (2017)

Nyashinski is so underrated outside of Kenya. Malaika is a popular word in Kiswahili so it is perfectly fine for another all-time Kenyan song to have the same name.

Lazizi - Sauti Sol (2009)

Yes, another song by probably the most popular Kenyan act/band ever. When I first heard this song, I knew they were going places. And this was their first single from their debut album. Stars written all over them. But what?

Sinzia - Nameless (2010)

Ninanoki took Nameless' music abroad but I argue that this is his best song ever. My number one song from Nameless I want to name is Coming Home though. Nasinzia dominated Google searches when it came out, before there were local trending topics in Twitter (Kenyan wise, etc). #KOT, uko wapi?

Boomba Train - E-Sir (2003)

One of the first legendary rap songs from Kenya, featuring one of its greatest musicians, Nameless.

Daima MKenya - Eric Wainaina (2002)

This is the most popular commercial patriotic Kenyan song ever made, arguably. This song was recorded in Boston, it came out during my freshman year of MIT.

Extra Pressure - Bensoul (2024)

"I am not very familiar with your game" - me to Bensoul in Shaq's voice.

Many thanks to friends like who contributed to this - Samuel Gikandi, Flora Amwayi, Philbert Aganyo

Blaze Buddha, Ciku Kimeria, Ewoenam Honu, Monique Kabuye, Ann, Kariba Moko, Doris Mwirigi, Kanyi Maina, Denis Gikunda and Ndinda Msiska. Have more #MusicWeDeyFeel to contribute? Drop a comment.

Check out this playlist of songs that were nominated, etc on YouTube.