'Chips Funga': A sociolinguistic analysis of lexical choices in sexual discourses among Kenyan university students.

This article presents a cognitive sociolinguistic analysis of the lexical choices Kenyan university students make in sexual discourse, focusing on how they navigate societal taboos against direct references to sex. Using the Sexual Synonyms Scale (SSS), the study surveyed 260 second-year students across four universities, revealing a preference for euphemistic and slang terms primarily in Sheng (an English-Swahili urban vernacular), followed by English and Kiswahili. Findings indicate that males use a greater variety of, and more dysphemistic, sexual slang than females, who tend to prefer less explicit terms; however, both genders employ slang as a means of identity construction and social negotiation. The study also highlights that lexical choices vary by social context (mixed versus same-sex company) and rural-urban background, with Sheng serving as a key marker of youth identity and a tool for discussing taboo topics like sex. These insights contribute to understanding youth sexuality and language use in Kenya, emphasizing the role of language in reflecting and shaping social attitudes toward sex among university students.