There was a specific time in Kenya, roughly around late 2018, when the air smelled of designer perfumes, expensive whiskey, and the infectious beat of King Kaka’s “Dundaing” featuring Kristoff and Magix Enga. It was the peak of the “Cheers Baba” culture—a time when Kenyan English took a hilarious, posh turn, and everyone was suddenly “dundaing” after leaving “jobbo.”

The Lingo of the Elite (and those pretending)

The “Cheers Baba” phenomenon wasn’t just a phrase; it was a whole personality coined from social media lingo that poked fun at Nairobi’s middle-class “it” crowd. You couldn’t walk into a club in Westlands without hearing someone say, “You guys, si once we leave jobbo we go dundaing?” Everything was an “-ing.” We weren’t just partying; we were sherehe-ing. We weren’t just eating; we were bite-ing on chicken wings.

The Anthem that Defined the Vibe

When the track “Dundaing” dropped in October 2018, it became the official national anthem for the weekend. The song perfectly captured the banter of the time—mixing deep Sheng with that exaggerated, posh English. It was the era of the “slay queen” and the “soft life” before those terms became clichés. People would post videos in the back of Ubers, clinking glasses and shouting “Cheers Baba!” as they headed to the next plot.

Why We Miss It

The beauty of that era was the pure, unadulterated banter. It was a time when Kenyan music felt like a shared inside joke that everyone was in on. Whether you were actually “balling” or just stretching your last coins to afford a “beer light,” the spirit of “Dundaing” made everyone feel like a superstar for the night.

So, to everyone who survived the hangovers of 2018: Cheers Baba! May your jobbo always lead to a legendary dunda.