| name | east-african-english |
| description | Use when drafting or editing professional English for Uganda, Kenya, or Tanzania and the wording must reflect East African usage, British spelling, courtesy, and country tone; use `language-standards` for French or Kiswahili and `writing-quality` for argument and persuasion. |
| metadata | {"portable":true,"compatible_with":["claude-code","codex"]} |
East African English Language & Tone Skill
Overview
Use this skill as the English-language tone layer for East African audiences. It keeps written output clear, professional, culturally natural, and aligned with the British-influenced business English used across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Use When
- Use when writing English content for East African readers or clients.
- Use when tone must sound local, professional, and credible rather than imported or overly Americanised.
- Use as a language overlay on top of another skill that owns the artifact.
Do Not Use When
- Do not use as a substitute for content strategy or factual accuracy.
- Do not flatten local tone into stiff textbook formalism.
- Do not override a client's established voice without reason.
Required Inputs
- Draft text or content task
- Target country or audience within East Africa where relevant
- Brand or client tone expectations
- Any terminology that must remain fixed
Workflow
- Identify the reader, purpose, and expected level of formality.
- Draft or revise the text into authentic East African professional English.
- Keep the tone respectful, clear, and commercially credible.
- Reconcile spelling, idiom, and formality with the target market.
- Remove imported phrasing that feels culturally off-tone.
- Flag where the voice requirement conflicts with other style constraints.
Quality Bar
- The language feels natural to East African professional readers.
- Tone is respectful and clear without becoming stiff.
- British spelling and regional conventions are applied consistently where appropriate.
- The wording supports trust and readability.
Anti-Patterns
- Uncritical use of American corporate phrasing.
- Artificially “local” slang that reduces professionalism.
- Over-formal bureaucratic prose that hides the message.
- Inconsistent spelling or register within the same artifact.
Outputs
- East African English-aligned copy or edits
- Tone corrections and language-consistency improvements
- Any unresolved voice or localisation questions
All website copy, headings, calls to action, descriptions, and microcopy 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 your support in this matter.
Kindly be informed that the funds have been received.
Kenya Confident and Business-Oriented
- Efficient and practical
- Clear timelines and expectations
- Professional firmness
Please share the signed agreement by Friday, 21 February 2026.
The project remains on schedule.
Tanzania Calm and Measured
- Formal and slightly conservative
- Respectful and patient rhythm
- Influenced by Swahili sentence structure
We kindly request your guidance on the next steps.
The matter is under review, and we shall revert shortly.
When no specific country is indicated, use the neutral East African style a balanced blend of all three.
Courteous Phrases to Use
These are natural and expected in East African business English:
- Kindly find attached...
- We kindly request...
- Please be advised that...
- We would like to inform you...
- Thank you for your continued support.
- We look forward to your response.
- We appreciate your partnership.
- Should you require any further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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
Words and Phrases to Avoid
Never use exaggerated marketing language:
| 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 |
Also avoid:
- American slang and casual abbreviations (FYI, ASAP, BTW)
- Overly creative marketing language
- Dramatic emotional tone
- Complex academic vocabulary
- Excessive exclamation marks
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. Never sound blunt or commanding.
| Too Blunt | East African Style |
|---|
| Send the report today. | Kindly submit the report by close of business today. |
| You are wrong. | There appears to be a misunderstanding regarding the figures provided. |
| We need payment now. | We kindly request that the outstanding balance be settled at your earliest convenience. |
| Fix this immediately. | We would appreciate your urgent attention to this matter. |
CTAs and Website Microcopy
Apply the same respectful tone to buttons, links, and short UI text:
| Generic | East African Style |
|---|
| Buy Now | Place Your Order |
| Sign Up | Register Today |
| Get Started | Begin Your Journey |
| Learn More | Find Out More |
| Contact Us | Get in Touch |
| Download | Download the Brochure |
Avoid aggressive sales language. CTAs should be inviting, not pushy.
Openings and Closings (for letters, emails, contact forms)
Openings
- Dear Sir/Madam,
- Dear Mr. Otieno,
- Greetings,
- We refer to the above subject matter.
Closings
- Yours faithfully, (when you do not know the recipient)
- Yours sincerely, (when you know the recipient)
- Kind regards,
- Best regards,
Often followed by:
We look forward to your favourable response.
Reference Paragraph Neutral East African Business Style
Use this as a benchmark for tone and rhythm:
We wish to inform you that the training programme will commence on 3 March 2026 at our Nairobi office. Kindly confirm your availability at your earliest convenience. Should you require any further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us. We appreciate your continued partnership and look forward to working together.
When This Skill Applies
- All visible website text headings, body copy, service descriptions, about pages, CTAs
- Meta descriptions and SEO text
- Alt text for images (clear, descriptive, respectful)
- Error messages and form labels (polite, never terse)
- Any generated email templates or contact responses
This skill runs alongside every other skill. The design-system chooses how text looks; this skill governs what it says and how it sounds.
Inputs
| Artefact | Source or provider | Required? | If absent |
|---|
| Source text or content brief, audience, purpose, channel, and required action | Requester and owning content skill | Required | Ask for purpose and audience; do not invent the message |
| Country, organisation voice, approved terminology, names, and facts | Client style guide, country context, and verified sources | Conditional | Use neutral East African professional English and flag localisation gaps |
| Legal, finance, technical, or sector terminology | Relevant doctrine and subject-matter owner | Conditional | Preserve qualified wording and request expert review |
Outputs
| Artefact | Consumer | Acceptance condition |
|---|
| East African English draft or edit | Intended reader and owning workflow | Meaning is preserved; British spelling, country-appropriate register, courtesy, clarity, and action are consistent |
| Language decision note | Author, reviewer, or translator | Material terminology, localisation, uncertainty, and reviewer needs are visible |
Evidence Produced
| Evidence | Format | Acceptance condition |
|---|
| Language quality check | Short checklist or tracked issue list | Checks country fit, meaning, spelling, tone, terminology, clarity, and factual preservation |
| Review limitation | Qualified note | Unverified local usage or specialist terminology is marked for in-country or expert review |
Capability Contract
Language review defaults to read-only diagnosis unless editing is authorised. Do not change facts, promises, legal effect, financial meaning, quoted speech, or approved brand claims merely to improve tone. Publishing, translation certification, and external messaging require explicit authority.
Degraded Mode
If country, audience, source context, specialist reviewer, or verification is unavailable, use neutral East African professional English and return a qualified draft with the uncertainty and review request. Do not claim native, legal, financial, or certified accuracy for unassessed wording.
Decision Rules
| Choice | Action | Failure or risk avoided |
|---|
| Country and audience are known | Apply the relevant Uganda, Kenya, or Tanzania register | Flat regional stereotype |
| Regional audience spans countries | Use neutral East African professional English | Over-localising for one market |
| Direct wording could sound abrupt but precision matters | Add courtesy without weakening the decision | Polite ambiguity |
| Specialist meaning is load-bearing | Preserve terms and require subject review | Substantive distortion |
Workflow
- Confirm purpose, reader, country, channel, action, voice, and editing authority.
- Preserve facts, commitments, citations, legal and financial meaning, and intentional voice.
- Select country-specific or neutral register and apply British spelling and local professional usage.
- Edit for clarity, courtesy, sentence rhythm, terminology, and a specific call to action.
- Check names, numbers, dates, quotations, and claims against the source; stop if meaning cannot be resolved.
- Read for condescension, imported idiom, stereotype, excessive formality, and AI-like filler.
- Recover by reverting any edit that changes meaning and flagging it for the owner or in-country reviewer.
Quality Standards
The text must sound plausible in its actual East African professional context, remain precise, and preserve substantive meaning. Local authenticity is not mimicry; uncertain usage is qualified and reviewed.
Anti-Patterns
- Adding
kindly to every instruction. Fix: use it only where courtesy needs it and keep the action direct.
- Replacing clear wording with ceremonial formality. Fix: prefer respectful plain English.
- Treating Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania as one voice. Fix: select a supported country register or use neutral regional English.
- Importing American spellings and business idioms. Fix: apply British spelling and locally intelligible wording.
- Softening a refusal until it becomes unclear. Fix: state the decision first, then reason and next step.
- Editing a legal or financial term for style. Fix: preserve it and request subject-matter review.
Worked Example
Change We can't process this to We are unable to process the payment because the tax invoice is missing. Please submit the invoice by 4.00 pm on 18 July. The revision is courteous, specific, and actionable without hiding the decision.
References
../language-standards/SKILL.md for French, Kiswahili, and multilingual review.../writing-quality/SKILL.md for argument, persuasion, and editorial structure.../../meta-utility/anti-ai-slop/SKILL.md and ../../meta-utility/ai-slop-audit/SKILL.md for production and release gates.
