| name | east-african-english |
| description | Use when drafting or reviewing English proposal content for Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, or regional East African audiences; use language-standards when French or Kiswahili routing is also required. |
| metadata | {"portable":true,"compatible_with":["claude-code","codex"]} |
East African English — Language & Tone Skill
Acknowledgement: Shared by Peter Bamuhigire, techguypeter.com, +256 784 464178.
Use When
- Use this skill when English-language output needs East African professional tone and British spelling.
- Load it as a cross-cutting review or drafting standard for proposals and related business writing.
Do Not Use When
- The task is purely about procurement mechanics or domain frameworks with no language work.
- Another loaded skill already defines the exact language treatment and there is no conflict.
Inputs
| Artefact | Source/provider | Required? | Missing-input behaviour |
|---|
| Draft or planned English text | Proposal workflow | Yes | Stop language review until the text or section purpose is available. |
| Country, institution, and procurement context | Client brief and sectors | Yes | Use neutral regional English and state the missing locale context. |
| Proposer voice | profiles | Yes for proposal drafting | Do not infer first-person voice or signatory identity. |
Workflow
- Determine the audience, purpose, and level of formality.
- Apply the relevant tone, spelling, vocabulary, and courtesy rules from this skill.
- Check for hype, awkward phrasing, and non-local wording patterns.
- Stop when an institutional title, official programme name, or local term cannot be verified.
- Recover by retaining the source wording, flagging it for review, or using neutral qualified wording.
- Return wording that sounds natural in East African professional English.
Capability Contract
Read and search are required. Editing is allowed only for authorised drafting or language correction. Network verification, publishing, submission, and certification of local usage require explicit authority.
Degraded Mode
Fallback: when the country context, proposer profile, approved wording, or verification source is unavailable, return the narrowest useful neutral regional version, mark the affected choice not assessed, and do not claim country-specific authenticity.
Decision Rules
| Condition or choice | Action | Failure or risk avoided |
|---|
| Ugandan, Kenyan, Tanzanian, or regional professional audience | Use British spelling and formal East African courtesy | Imported US or sales-heavy register |
| Buyer supplies official wording | Preserve it exactly even if house style differs | Procurement non-compliance |
| Country-specific term is uncertain | Use neutral regional wording and flag review | Invented localism |
| French or Kiswahili is also required | Route through language-standards | Inconsistent multilingual handling |
Quality Standards
- Prefer clarity, courtesy, and natural local phrasing over flashy copy.
- Use this as a cross-cutting review pass, not as a substitute for domain or procurement logic.
- Preserve compatibility with existing repository workflows and file paths.
Anti-Patterns
- Mixing American and British spelling in one document. Fix: select British English and run a consistency pass.
- Using startup slang in a formal procurement response. Fix: replace it with precise professional wording.
- Forcing regional idioms into a neutral institutional document. Fix: prefer clear standard English.
- Claiming country-specific authenticity without context. Fix: use neutral regional tone and mark the locale not assessed.
- Rewriting official programme names for style. Fix: reproduce the buyer's wording exactly.
Outputs
| Artefact | Consumer | Acceptance condition |
|---|
| East African English proposal text | Evaluator and proposal editor | Spelling, register, courtesy, proposer voice, dates, and official names are consistent and traceable. |
Evidence Produced
| Evidence | Consumer | Acceptance condition |
|---|
| Language review record | Proposal release owner | Locale, applied standard, preserved official wording, and unresolved choices are recorded. |
References
All proposal text — cover letters, executive summaries, methodology sections, CVs, financial submissions, and supporting documents — must follow this style guide. This is the foundational language standard applied before and during every content-writing step.
Core Characteristics
- Clear and direct. Sentences are straightforward, grammatically careful, and logically structured. No slang in professional communication.
- Formal and respectful. Politeness is essential. Communication shows courtesy and humility.
- British English spelling. organisation, programme, centre, colour, travelling (double "l").
- Professionally indirect. Avoid bluntness. Soften directives with courteous phrasing.
- Measured confidence. Confident without arrogance. No dramatic or exaggerated language.
British English Standards
Spelling
Always use British spelling:
| Correct | Incorrect |
|---|
| organisation | organization |
| programme | program |
| centre | center |
| colour | color |
| travelling | traveling |
| specialise | specialize |
| honour | honor |
| favourite | favorite |
| analyse | analyze |
| defence | defense |
| licence (noun) | license (noun) |
| catalogue | catalog |
| enquiry | inquiry |
Dates
Write dates in day-month-year order:
- 17 February 2026
- 17th February 2026
Never use month-first American format (February 17, 2026).
Tone by Country Context
When the client is based in a specific country, adjust the tone slightly:
Uganda — Warm and Relational
- Very polite and appreciative
- Frequent use of "kindly"
- Emphasis on harmony and goodwill
We highly appreciate the opportunity to submit this proposal and look forward to contributing to the Authority's reform programme.
Kenya — Confident and Business-Oriented
- Efficient and practical
- Clear timelines and expectations
- Professional firmness
Our team will mobilise within two weeks of contract signing and deliver the inception report by 21 February 2026.
Tanzania — Calm and Measured
- Formal and slightly conservative
- Respectful and patient rhythm
- Influenced by Swahili sentence structure
We kindly request the Evaluation Committee's guidance on the preferred format for the deliverables outlined in the Terms of Reference.
When no specific country is indicated, use the neutral East African style — a balanced blend of all three.
Courteous Phrases for Proposals
These are natural and expected in East African professional writing:
- We kindly request…
- We would like to draw attention to…
- We wish to highlight…
- We are pleased to present…
- We have the honour to submit…
- Should the Evaluation Committee require any further clarification, we remain at your disposal.
- We look forward to the opportunity to serve [Client Name].
- We appreciate the confidence placed in our firm.
Vocabulary Standards
Preferred Professional Words
Use simple, professional vocabulary:
- facilitate, implement, undertake, liaise, coordinate
- engage, support, enhance, review, confirm
- advise, revert (meaning "respond" — widely accepted in East Africa)
- significant, important, strategic, beneficial, valuable
- deploy, mobilise, commence, conclude
Words and Phrases to Avoid
Never use exaggerated marketing language in proposals:
| Avoid | Use Instead |
|---|
| groundbreaking | significant |
| revolutionary | innovative |
| game-changing | strategic |
| amazing | commendable |
| awesome | excellent |
| incredible | remarkable |
| unleash | enable |
| skyrocket | improve significantly |
| supercharge | strengthen |
| crushing it | performing well |
| world-class (unless substantiated) | proven, established, leading |
| best-in-class | highly experienced, well-established |
Also avoid:
- American slang and casual abbreviations (FYI, ASAP, BTW)
- Dramatic emotional tone
- Complex academic vocabulary that obscures meaning
- Excessive exclamation marks (none in proposals)
- AI-sounding vocabulary (delve, tapestry, landscape as metaphor, leverage, navigate as metaphor, foster, realm, harness, synergy, embark, robust, vibrant, holistic, seamless)
Instead of abbreviations, write in full:
Please respond as soon as possible.
Sentence Style
Use Full, Balanced Sentences
- No fragments or telegram-style copy
- Moderate length — not too short, not too complex
- Logical structure with clear subject-verb-object order
Good:
The team has completed the initial assessment and will submit the final report by the end of the week.
Professional Indirectness
Soften directives and assertions. Never sound blunt or commanding.
| Too Blunt | East African Style |
|---|
| We are the best firm for this. | We believe our experience positions us well to deliver this assignment. |
| The client's current system is failing. | The current system presents opportunities for significant improvement. |
| This timeline is unrealistic. | We respectfully note that the proposed timeline may benefit from additional consideration. |
| Other firms lack our expertise. | Our team brings a combination of skills that is directly relevant to this assignment. |
Proposal-Specific Style
- First-person plural throughout: "We propose…", "Our team will…", "We have successfully…"
- Active voice preferred: "We will conduct stakeholder workshops" not "Stakeholder workshops will be conducted"
- Quantify wherever possible: "We trained 127 staff across four departments" not "We trained many staff"
- Name the client: use the client's actual name, not "the client" — it shows the proposal was written for them
- Reference the ToR: "As outlined in Section 3.2 of the Terms of Reference" — shows careful reading
Openings and Closings (for cover letters and correspondence)
Openings
- Dear Sir/Madam,
- Dear Mr. Otieno,
- The Chairperson, Contracts Committee,
- The Procurement Officer,
Closings
- Yours faithfully, (when you do not know the recipient)
- Yours sincerely, (when you know the recipient)
Often followed by:
We look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Client Name]'s objectives and remain at your disposal for any further clarification.
Reference Paragraph — Neutral East African Proposal Style
Use this as a benchmark for tone and rhythm:
We have the honour to submit this technical proposal in response to the Terms of Reference for the Development of an Integrated Financial Management Information System for the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. Our firm brings over fifteen years of experience in public financial management systems across East Africa, having successfully implemented similar platforms for the Uganda Revenue Authority and the Kenya National Treasury. We are confident that our proposed approach, combined with our team's deep understanding of government financial processes, will deliver a system that meets the Ministry's requirements and supports its reform agenda.
When This Skill Applies
- All proposal sections — cover letters, executive summaries, methodology, experience, team CVs
- All supporting documents — EoIs, financial proposals, correspondence with procuring entities
- All generated content — blog posts, thought leadership articles related to proposals
- Internal documents — inception reports, progress reports, deliverables produced during assignments
This skill runs alongside every other skill. It governs what the text says and how it sounds.
