Lyrics
Verse 1
Umeweka wimbo kinywani mwangu
Bwana niimbe sifa zako
Umeniumba ili nikuabudu
Nakuabudu nakuabudu
Chorus
Wewe uketiye juu ya vyote
Sifa hizi zifike kitini pako
Wimbo huu ukawe manukato
(x2)
Verse 2
Wewe ni Niko ambaye niko
Milele hilo ita, na milele ijayo
Sioni cha kunishibisha moyo wangu
Badala ya kukuabudu mtakatifu
Chorus
Wewe uketiye juu ya vyote
Sifa hizi zifike kitini pako
Wimbo huu ukawe manukato
(x2)
Bridge
Manukato (Manukato)
Kama sadaka ya Abeli (Manukato)
Kama zaburi ya Daudi (manukato)
(x2)
Outro
Manukato manukato manukato (manukato)
Haleluya Haleluya Haleluyaa (manukato)
Nakupenda Bwana wimbo huu ukawe (Manukato)
Credits & Song Information
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Fanuel Sedekia’s “Manukato - Umeweka Wimbo Kinywani Mwangu” centers on worship as an offering that rises to God’s throne. The opening lines describe a song placed directly into the mouth by God, framing praise not as human invention but as a response to divine initiative. Being created for the purpose of adoration gives the entire song a sense of design rather than spontaneous sentiment.
The chorus asks that these praises become “manukato,” the Swahili word for incense. That image quietly echoes Psalm 141:2, where prayer is compared to incense offered before the Lord. The lyrics picture worship moving upward to the one seated above all things, a throne-room orientation that gives the song its vertical focus.
The second verse names God as “Niko ambaye niko,” reminiscent of the “I AM” statement from Exodus. That eternal identity grounds the worship: there is nothing else that can truly satisfy the heart. The bridge places this song alongside the sacrifice of Abel and the psalms of David, connecting personal praise to a larger biblical history of acceptable offerings before God. The repeated “Haleluya” turns the close into an act of adoration itself.