The Kenyan creator had been experimenting with the language she was learning after moving to Rwanda. When the video drew attention, she decided to keep going, and Kinyarwanda gradually became part of her creative identity.
Today, Njoki combines Kinyarwanda, humour and storytelling in her videos while working as a communications strategist at Blue Oceans Rwanda.
Through Unscripted with Njoki, her interview series on Instagram and TikTok, she features personalities from Rwanda’s sports and entertainment scene, alongside content about everyday life and her experiences in the country.
But the journey that brought her to Rwanda was not exactly planned.
Njoki came to Rwanda in November 2021 to visit her cousin during her gap year. What began as a short visit eventually led to university and a career.
She enrolled at East African University Rwanda, where she studied journalism and mass communication and graduated at the top of her class. Nearly five years later, she has established herself professionally while growing her online presence.
“I love Rwanda. Rwanda is nice. It’s been nice. It’s been a good ride so far. I’m enjoying myself. I’m putting out content, you know, I’m living life every day, one day at a time,” Njoki remarked during an exclusive interview with IGIHE.
For Njoki, her Rwanda experience has been about more than work and social media. It has involved learning a new language, navigating a different culture, being away from family and adapting to a different pace of life.
And somewhere along the way, Kinyarwanda, once one of her biggest challenges, became one of the ways she connected with Rwanda.
From struggling with Kinyarwanda to going viral
Learning Kinyarwanda was initially one of Njoki’s biggest challenges after moving to Rwanda.
“Kinyarwanda is not easy. It is not easy. At first, the language was like, ‘Yo, I’m so lost. I can’t get anything.’ But with time, I learned it,” she recalled.
She picked up much of the language from friends at university and colleagues at work. Her Kikuyu background also helped her recognise similarities between some words in the two Bantu languages.
Even after years in Rwanda, Njoki says learning Kinyarwanda remains an ongoing process.
“Sometimes I forget some words. It’s a learning process. It never ends,” she explained.
Her experience with the language eventually became an unexpected source of inspiration.
After seeing Kenyan content creator Debby Rono do an impression of how Kinyarwanda sounded to her, Njoki decided to try her own version, drawing on the words she had learned.
“I did that, and the first video got a lot of attention, and I was like, ‘Oh, this works. Let me do more,’” she recalled.
The response encouraged her to keep experimenting, and Kinyarwanda soon became a recurring feature of her videos.
For Njoki, the language is not simply a way to entertain. It has also become a
way of engaging with Rwandan culture and sharing her experience as a Kenyan living in the country.
Finding a different pace of life
One of the biggest ways Rwanda has influenced Njoki, she says, is by changing how she approaches everyday life.
Coming from Kenya, she describes life there as fast-paced and energetic. In Rwanda, she learned to slow down, be more approachable and take things as they come.
“Rwanda has taught me that you can actually become. You don’t have to always be in a rush every time, in like defensive mode every time,” she noted.
“I feel like since I came to Rwanda, I’ve learned how to be a bit calmer, and just chill, and take a minute to take in life as it comes.”
She says the experience has also broadened her perspective and exposed her to different cultures.
“Rwanda has also taught me to open up my mind and embrace different cultures, the Rwandan culture. And because we have so many foreigners here, you’re exposed to a lot,” she added, noting that adjusting to life away from home came with challenges, including learning Kinyarwanda, being separated from her family and adapting to Rwanda’s food culture.
Kenya and Rwanda: Different cultures, familiar people
Njoki sees clear cultural differences between Kenya and Rwanda.
She describes Kenyans as generally more outspoken and energetic, while she sees Rwandans as quieter and more reserved.
“Kenyans are rowdy. There is a lot of chaos, there’s a lot of loudness,” she observed.
Despite those differences, she says the two countries share similarities in areas such as religion, food and aspects of everyday life.
Ultimately, Njoki says Rwanda gives her a strong feeling of home.
“When I’m in Rwanda, I feel like I’m at home. People are the same,” she reflected.
What makes Rwanda stand out
Among the things Njoki admires most about Rwanda is what she sees as the country’s deliberate efforts to promote women’s participation and empowerment.
“I love the fact that you guys actually are very intentional when it comes to uplifting women, and the fact that we have so many women in parliament,” she said.
She praised efforts to ensure women are not left behind, including discussions around workplace equality and pay gaps.
“They talk about it and they actually do it,” she added.
Njoki also highlighted Rwanda’s security and cleanliness, saying the country’s reputation for being clean is reflected in everyday life.
“I like the fact that people here don’t litter. You’ll see someone walking with a bottle up to home or up to where you’ll see a dustbin,” she noted.
Bigger ambitions for her career
Looking ahead, Njoki hopes to take her work to a much bigger stage.
Over the next five years, she wants to work with brands, secure partnerships, MC events, travel and develop new skills.
“I want to be doing content on a full scale. I want to work with brands. I want brand deals, to advertise for people, MC for people. I want to travel more,” she stressed.
She also hopes to use her growing platform to give back to others.
“Just pick up as many skills as I can, and just be able to give back more to people than I’m taking,” she added.
“Don’t let anyone shame you for trying”
For young people who are afraid of being judged when pursuing their ideas, Njoki urged them not to let criticism or embarrassment hold them back.
“Don’t let anyone shame you for trying,” she urged.
She encouraged young people not to abandon their ideas simply because others consider them embarrassing or “cringe.”
“You see that thing people are calling cringe? Nah, do it,” she remarked.
Her advice is to keep trying, take things one day at a time and remember that no one has everything figured out.
“No one has everything figured out. So, just try and don’t let anyone shame you for trying.”
Watch the full video with Anna Njoki below.
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