French is one of the most taught international languages in schools across Kenya. Every year, thousands of students acquire proficiency certificates.
The transition from high school to university and then into the job market is rarely linear. For French students it can be more unpredictable. The question "What comes after learning French?" looms large.
A new crop of young Kenyans is using French as a tool to unlock career advancement, cultural exchange, and global connections.
Sammy Simiyu, 29, can’t imagine where his career would be without French.
“It’s because of French that I get opportunities,” he says.
He has carved out a national presence in French-language advocacy. As the founder of Kifaransa Village, a grassroots movement transforming language learners into leaders, Sammy promotes French through cultural and educational activities.
From organising annual festivals to offering mentorship in schools and leading workshops, the organisation has become a hub for French enthusiasts across the country.
Sammy Simiyu poses for a photo along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi on May 12, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Gorup
Now working with MultiChoice's DStv on projects in West Africa and other Francophone countries, Sammy is quick to credit French for his career growth.
His journey began at St. Matthews S.E.K. Webuye High School. Resources were limited, and motivation was scarce. But his teacher, Madam Melissa, made all the difference.
“She kept encouraging me even when things were tough,” he recalls. Her support sparked a deeper passion, not just to learn French, but to help others do the same.
“I told myself I would use what I had - my teacher, a few books - to master the language. One day, I’d create what others like me had lacked.”
That idea eventually became Kifaransa (Kiswahili for French) Village, launched in 2020. Since then, it has rown to have a presence across Nairobi, the Coastal, Mount Kenya, Eastern, Western, and Rift Valley regions. The network, he says, supports over 800 registered members.
His love for French has taken him across East Africa, including a highlight moment translating for visitors from Mali and Senegal in Tanzania.
“Helping them communicate with locals was empowering,” he says.
Sammy sees Kifaransa’s most significant impact in its events, which bring together students from primary school to university.
“They realise they’re not alone,” he says. “A student from a rural school sees hundreds of others speaking French, and that is life changing.”
Organising events and mentoring others has also shaped Sammy as a leader. “It’s not just about language anymore, it’s about developing leaders and building a community,” he says.
For beginners, his advice is simple: “Have passion. Be eager to learn. Even if you’re pursuing another field, French is a skill no one can take from you.”
His favourite French word? “Bonjour - it just feels warm and welcoming.” His dream destinations include Senegal, for its coastal charm, and France itself.
One myth he wants to bust: that learning French guarantees instant opportunities. “It’s not just the language - it’s about finding people who can help you apply it.”
Emmanuel’s geopolitics with a French twist
Emmanuel Kehodo is building a career at the intersection of geopolitics, language, and international relations. As a political risk and security analyst specialising in Francophone Africa, particularly the Sahel and Great Lakes regions, he credits his success to a lifelong love of French.
Emmanuel Kehodo poses for a photo along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi on May 12, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Gorup
His journey began in Class Four when he met a Congolese French teacher, Mr Jean Paul Mulangi.
“The way he introduced himself ‘Jean Paul Mulangi, le deuxième bonhomme’ was fascinating,” he recalls with a smile. “I immediately wanted to be a bonhomme (gentleman) too.”
In high school, his teacher Mr Wakhungu deepened his interest, using music and cultural festivals to make learning enjoyable. “French gave me a passport to attend school outings and cultural events,” Emmanuel recalls.
For him, learning French was as natural as learning science. By the time he joined Kenyatta University to study French and Geography, he had a solid foundation, but university brought its own challenges.
“That’s when things got serious and not so easy anymore,” he chuckles.
He quickly realised a key truth: “French alone isn’t the golden ticket. It’s a tool. You still need a core skill - whether teaching, translation, or analysis,” says the 28-year-old.
That realisation hit in May 2018 when he was first paid to tutor French. “That’s when I knew this could be my bread and butter.”
Later, he was selected for the French Language Assistant programme, a partnership between the French and Kenyan governments. He taught English in Nantes, France, from September 2019 to August 2020.
“Without French, that opportunity wouldn’t have happened,” he says.
Today, his language skills remain vital to his work. “Francophone conflict zones urgently need French-speaking professionals—for translation, media, and policy analysis.”
Emmanuel is also an active member of Kifaransa Village. “It exposed me to a broader Kenya; rural areas, different schools. I’ve seen how French is embraced in diverse contexts,” he says.
He continues to take French classes to maintain fluency. “People think learning French is like riding a bike - you’ll never forget. That’s a myth,” he says.
Among his favourite French expressions is bof - a sound of indifference or uncertainty. His dream destinations include Dakar in Senegal and Montreal in Canada.
“For me, French isn’t a destination—it’s a journey.”
Nashisako pivots to build bridges
Amos Nashisako has built a bridge between engineering and language. A construction management graduate from the Technical University of Kenya and a regional coordinator for Kifaransa Village in Nairobi, Nashisako has used French to complement his technical profession.
Amos Nashisako poses for a photo along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi on May 12, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Gorup
His love for French began in secondary school in Western Kenya, sparked by teacher Mr Wasike Wakesa. “At first, I was just curious. But then it became passion,” he says.
While many peers pursued teaching, Nashisaku, 24, decided to combine French with construction.
“Let me diversify,” he said back then. “Let me try engineering and use French to see where it leads.”
Though his technical faculty didn’t offer French classes, he joined the university’s French club and later became its president. Interaction with visiting French lecturers exposed him to real-world French.
“They didn’t speak textbook French, they spoke naturally. It challenged me,” he says.
He began tutoring fellow engineering students preparing for Francophone countries and exchanged lessons with international students. “We were building bridges through language.”
Skeptics often doubted his skills because he wasn’t part of the formal French programme. But support from the French Resource Centre and helpful lecturers proved invaluable.
In 2020 and 2021, he taught French part-time and returned to his high school to inspire students. He also participated in French drama events in Embu.
In 2023, he represented Kenya at a French debate competition in Madagascar. “I met people with different accents, it changed my whole view,” he says.
Though financial challenges initially delayed his master’s studies in France, he’s now preparing to travel in September.
Introduced to Kifaransa Village by a friend in his second year, Nashisaku was inspired by the fluent, natural French spoken at events. “I knew this was the place to be,” he says.
As Nairobi’s regional coordinator, he manages branches, organises events, and helps connect students to job opportunities in tourism, teaching, and hospitality.
Outside work, he enjoys French rap, especially from Senegal. “Their French is clear and easy to understand,” he says. His favourite French word? “Sympa, which translates to ‘nice,’ and that’s how I like to keep things.”
Dalcy finds her voice
At 22, Dalcy Muthoni is merging her love for language and communication. A Corporate Communications and Management student at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), she now volunteers with Kifaransa Village’s communications team.
Dalcy Muthoni poses for a photo along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi on May 12, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Gorup
Dalcy began learning French in Form One at Chogoria Girls’ High School. Given a choice between French and German, she chose French, on one condition: “If I passed the first exam, I’d continue.”
She passed and never looked back.
Her teacher, Mr Lunani, encouraged her to participate in public speaking, and she reached the regional stage at the 2019 Music Festivals.“That gave me confidence,” she says.
Initially, her family didn’t see the value of French. “My mother even suggested I switch to physics,” she recalls. But today, her mother is one of her biggest supporters.
“French isn’t a walk in the park,” she admits. “Grammar is tricky. What you write isn’t always what you say. But I loved the challenge.”
Though life delayed her post-high school learning plans, French remained part of her daily life—through music and reading. In 2022, she joined the JKUAT French Club and discovered Kifaransa Village.
“It felt like home,” she says.
Now volunteering in communications, Dalcy also serves as a Campus France ambassador, guiding students who want to study in France.
At JKUAT, she co-founded the French Club, helping revive interest in the language. “It was amazing to see people speak and connect in French again.”
Her French skills helped her communicate with West African students at the Pan-African University in 2019.
“I was the only one who could really speak to them,” she says.
She dreams of working in international communications - blending media, storytelling, and language.
