mubaba

Swahili

Alternative forms

• mubabaz

Noun

mubaba (m-wa class, plural wababa)

1. (Sheng) sugar daddy
   • 2022 September 23, Joseph Obel, “‘Mstinji’ Review: A Discombobulated Way to Finding a Stingy Mubaba”, in Sinema Focus‎^[1] (in English):

     The term mubaba, popular in Kenya, denotes an older rich man who spoils young girls or young boys, with gifts and money, in exchange for sex and other favours.

   • 2023 September 26, “'I got into a relationship with a mubaba to fund my lifestyle and I regret it': Campus student speaks”, in Citizen Digital‎^[2] (in English):

     Some call them ‘mubaba’, others call them ‘sugar daddies’ or 'sponsors' while others have coined the name ‘blessers’, borrowed from the social media trend of young women, posting photos of living lavish lifestyles – funded by older men - with the hashtag blessed.

   • 2023 August 23, Maureen Waruinge, “Wasted sin - Kenyan woman lists 4 categories who don't qualify to be 'Wababas"”, in Mpasho‎^[3] (in English):

     A mubaba in Kenya is a term used to refer to men that have side chicks and pay their bills.

   • 2022 March 9, Esther Nyandoro, “March 9th, 2022”, in Nairobi News‎^[4] (in English):

     Some of us wish to be her, some are jealous of her but all of us know she is out here emptying a much older man’s bank account. That man is simply known as Mubaba who appears to be keen to spoil her side lady in exchange for good times. But there is no talk of settling down in that relationship because he likely has a wife and grown-up kids.

   • 2023 November 14, Winnie Mabel, “5 benefits of dating a mubaba/mumama other than financial gain”, in Nairobi News‎^[5] (in English):

     They are commonly known as sugar daddies and sugar mummies. They are older men and women who opt to date – and sometimes marry – younger partners on the expectation that they would fund their soft lives. In Kenyan parlance, they nowadays go by the nicknames mubaba (older moneyed man), mumama (older moneyed women), sponsors, blessers and Aunty wa Harrier among other names.

   • 2022 May 20, Esther Muchene, “How to know your girlfriend has a 'Mubaba'”, in The Standard‎^[6] (in English):

     It’s hard for ladies who are already exploring the ‘mubaba’ lifestyle to be happy with their boyfriends. Chances are that their man makes way less than the old guy they’re seeing and that can make them bitter and resentful towards you.

Coordinate terms

• mumama