Wanna Grab a Rolex or Two?

Uganda will always evoke for me its one-time leader and nasty dictator Idi Amin, who is famously reported to have said in the 1970s: “Human flesh is salty.”

As a former British colony, Uganda is home to a rich English culture. At one time, until the early 1970s, Uganda was also home to a thriving Indian population, who ran most of the businesses there until Amin threw them out en masse in 1972.

But our concern here is primarily Uganda’s contribution to the English language.

Ugandan English also draws heavily upon local languages like Luganda.

With that brief introduction to Uganda, let’s consider 15 English words of Ugandan origin.

Of course, we’re going to start with the famous Ugandan Rolex, which made it to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2024. The Ugandan Rolex, a play on the term Roll Eggs, is something you put into your mouth, not wear it on your wrist.

Rolex
Meaning: Wildly popular street food in Uganda, borrowed partly from the Indians; It’s basically a chapati wrapped around fried eggs/omelet, and often includes tomatoes, onions or other vegetables

Boda boda
Meaning: A motorcycle taxi

Scientific car accident
Meaning: a staged car accident

Muzungu
Meaning: A White person; bazungu is the plural.

Bayindi (plural term)
Meaning: People of Indian origin living in Uganda
Example: "Since colonial times Indian immigrants, known as Bayindi in Uganda, had dominated commercial life. In 1972 [Idi] Amin expelled them all from the country." (Source: The New York Review of Books, January 15, 2026)

Muyindi (singular)
Meaning: Ugandan Indian
Example: NYC's most famous muyindi is Mayor Mamdani.

Askari
Meaning: Security guard or watchman

Kikomando
Meaning: A dish made principally from chopped chapati and beans

You are Lost
Meaning: A friendly greeting meaning that someone has not been seen for a long time

Kaveera
Meaning: A plastic or polythene bag

Chapati
Meaning: Flat, unleavened bread brought to Uganda by Indian immigrants

Matoke
Meaning: Cooked green bananas/plantains; also the dish made from them

Katogo
Meaning: A mixture of foods, especially a Ugandan dish traditionally involving matoke and other ingredients; it can also mean a mixture or muddle figuratively

Nkuba kyeyo
Meaning: A Ugandan working abroad, particularly in low-paid or unskilled employment

Cowardize
Meaning: To behave like a coward or lose one's courage

Kwanjula
Meaning: A traditional ceremony where the families of a prospective bride and groom formally meet

Banda
Meaning: A small hut, shelter or cabin-like building

Well done
Meaning: A friendly greeting or acknowledgment, especially when someone is working