Note for the folks at home: For most Kenyans, English is their third language, and Kiswahili is their second. Their first language is their "mother tongue", also called their "tribal language" or "vernacular". There are over 40 different ethnic tribes across Kenya, each with its own mother tongue, and several mother tongues have entirely distinct dialects by region. Some of the tribal languages represented in the Maralal area are Samburu ("Serian! Kesupat!"), Kikuyu ("Ohoro wako? Kwega fio."), and Turkana ("Ejoko? Ejok'!"), among many others. Naturally, such a mishmash of languages causes general confusion, so a common language is required to allow mutual understanding. Kiswahili is the usual choice, but modern schools have been tasked by the government to push English in schools. To this end, all classes (besides Kiswahili class) are taught in English, and the speaking of mother tongues within school is to be discouraged with stiff punishment. The threat of punishment seems to be the extent of this last point --- very rarely is the protocol enforced, as even the teachers find themselves slipping into vernacular now and again.
