Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini

A free picture book in Kiswahili by Lesley Koyi, Ursula Nafula

Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini is a picture book in Kiswahili for ages 5–11 by Lesley Koyi, Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language

Kiswahili

Written by

Lesley Koyi, Ursula Nafula

Illustrated by

Brian Wambi

Translated by

Ursula Nafula

Reading level

ages 5–11 · kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade · Level 3 · First paragraphs

From

Kenya

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini is a short illustrated picture book in Kiswahili by Lesley Koyi, Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Brian Wambi and translated by Ursula Nafula. It is written for ages 5–11 (Grades 2–3) and is graded as Level 3 · First paragraphs, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Kiswahili. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 19 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Kituo kidogo cha mabasi kijijini mwetu kilijaa shughuli za watu na mabasi. mabasi mengi yalikuwa yamejaa mizigo. Chini, palikuwa na mizigo zaidi ya kupakia. Makondakta walikuwa wanataja majina ya sehemu mabasi yalikokuwa yanaelekea. “Mjini! Mjini! Magharibi!” Nilisikia kondakta akiita kwa…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini” is also available in:

• Afrikaans · Die dag toe ek van my huis weggegaan het stad toe
• Bemba · Ubushiku nafumine pa ŋanda ukuya ku kalaale
• English · Day I left home for the city
• English · The day I left home for the city
• Jamaican Creole · Di Die Mi Lef Mi Yaad Fi Go Toun
• Kaonde · Juuba Jonafumine Kumuzhi Kuya Kutaunyi
• Khoekhoegowab · ǁGâusa xu ta ge kaiǃās ǁga ǃgû tsēs
• Lukhonzo · Ekiro Nalw’eka ingaghenda omw’akibugha
• Lunda · Ifuku inafumini kumukala nakuya kumbaka
• Luvale · Likumbi ngwafumine hembo nakuya kumbaka
• Mauritian Creole · Zour mo’nn kit lakaz pou lavil
• Nyanja · Tsiku lamene ndinanyamukila panyumba kuyenda kumzinda
• Oshikwanyama · Efiku nda fiya po eumbo komukunda ndi ye koshilando
• Oshindonga · Esiku nda thiga po egumbo ndi ye koshilando
• Otjiherero · Eyuva ndu mba za ponganda okuyenda kotjihuro
• Somali · Maalintii aan ka tagay guriga een magalada aaday
• Spanish · El día que dejé mi casa para irme a la ciudad
• Tonga · Buzuba Mbwindakaunka Kudolopo
• Tswana · Letsatsi je ke duleng mo gae ka ya toropong

Reading together in Kiswahili

• Read it aloud first, pointing at the pictures; then let your child “read” the pictures back to you.
• Ask open questions: what happened, how did the character feel, what would you do?
• Growing up with two languages? Talk about the story in whichever language feels easiest — the understanding carries over.

More free books in Kiswahili

• Punda na Fahali
• Umuhimu wa Mtende
• Tazama wanyama
• Wapi paka wangu?
• Adhabu
• Mbegu Ndogo: Hadithi ya Wangari Maathai
• Nani Anaweza Kupuruka Bila Mabawa?
• Ninampenda Mama Yangu

See all 100 free Kiswahili books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini” free to read?

Yes. “Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini” is free to read online in Pagine on any phone, tablet or computer — no payment and nothing to download. It is openly licensed (CC BY 4.0).

What language is “Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini” in?

It is written in Kiswahili. Pagine has 100 free children’s books in Kiswahili.

What age is “Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini” for?

It is best for ages 5–11 (Level 3 · First paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, English, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana, Lukhonzo and more.

Who wrote “Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini”?

“Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini” was written by Lesley Koyi, Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Brian Wambi; the Kiswahili translation is by Ursula Nafula.

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Credits: Siku niliyoondoka nyumbani kuelekea mjini — Written by Lesley Koyi, Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Brian Wambi; Translated by Ursula Nafula; Read by Lauwo George. Kiswahili, Level 3. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=15029). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026