It means “problem” and I’d love to see it substitute for the recently over-injected “issue”

So instead of:

“Obama had issues with some of his early appointees”

we would say

“Obama’s appointees had a maneno with taxes” or a “Tax maneno”

It is KiSwahili it probably originally meant “words” as in “they’re having words …. they’re arguing” but means, more generally, problem.

A common phrase is “Hapana maneno” which is like the one everyone knows: “Hakuna matata”

Hakuna = there is not any, Mtata or Matata = “evil, danger, difficulty” so “Hakuna matata” = “No problem” .. but in some times/places people instead say “Hapana manano” where “Hapana” = “no” (No problem, or in Spanglish, “No problemo”)

(You can also say “Hakuna maneno” … “Hakuna” here is more “proper” than “Hapana”)

And, we have a Democrat in the White House so the government won’t screw it up as badly.

Don’t let Michelle hear you say that.

In what language is “maneno” out of curiosity? Google suggests it’s about “communication”, based on the hits I see. A few of which mention Africa. So, I’m guessing this dovetails with your travels.

(Something like “wala”, which produced a huge whooshing sound flying over my head the first time I posted here!)