Kenyans have been left wondering after a Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, 24, launched her own media company and named it Hana Kuma in partnership with renowned basketballer Lebron James and The Spring Hill company owned by Maverick Carter.
The media company was launched on Tuesday and it is set to focus on scripted and unscripted shows, documentaries, movies, animations and branded content.
The company name has left Kenyans in stitches and talking because in Swahili it means that one lacks the female body part, vagina.
Some have said that it will be very difficult to market the company in East Africa and some African countries because that will be deemed as disrespectful.
Others wondered how the partners decided on the name and if they ever researched it well. Here are some of the reactions.
“@KingJames. Do you notice Hana Kuma means “one without a Vajay Jay” in all Eastern African countries? It will be hard to market any services using the company name! As it is, it is quite hilarious. Telling my in-laws I got this from Hana Kuma. That would call for a fine!” Nzyoka tweeted.
“Did u do some business plan before coming up with a business title??? This title Hana kuma is total bullshit,” Purity Navagwi said.
“My heart goes out to all Kenyan youths who will have the task of convincing their parents “hana Kuma” is also a brand name for a media company” Wahito’s teet read.
While another netizen said, “”Dick Mburu reporting live from Hana Kuma Tv, Back to you Tom Bayeye in Studio.”
There is however no reason to judge Osaka because in Japanese Hana Kuma is something different from what it means in Swahili. Hana means flower while Kuma means bear.
Hana Kuma is not the only Japanese name that has caused a stir among Kenyans. There is a list of other Japanese words which in Swahili they seem so vulgar.
They include; a Japanese city known as Kumamoto. There also was once a managing director for Toyota Kenya who went by the name Tomonori Umehara.
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