Shabaha ya mpango iko wazi.

A word-by-word breakdown is:

• shabaha = aim, target, objective
• ya = of, belonging to
• mpango = plan
• iko = is, exists, is situated, is in a state
• wazi = open, clear, obvious

So the whole sentence means something like The aim of the plan is clear or The objective of the plan is clear.

Ya is the possessive/linking word meaning of.

So:

• shabaha ya mpango = the aim of the plan

In Swahili, this linker changes depending on the noun class of the thing possessed. Since mpango belongs to the m-/mi- class, the connector here is ya.

You can think of it as a structure like:

• noun + possessive connector + noun
• shabaha ya mpango = aim of plan

Because Swahili usually needs a connector to show a relationship like of.

Compare:

• shabaha mpango → not correct for aim of the plan
• shabaha ya mpango → correct

That ya clearly links the two nouns and shows that the aim belongs to or is associated with the plan.

This is a very common learner question.

Both ni and forms like iko can sometimes be translated as is, but they are not used in exactly the same way.

In this sentence, iko wazi means something like is in a clear/open state.
It sounds natural for describing a condition or state.

• iko wazi = is clear / is open
• iko tayari = is ready
• iko salama = is safe

By contrast, ni is often used more directly for identification or classification:

• Yeye ni mwalimu = He/She is a teacher

So here iko wazi is the natural pattern for is clear.

Iko agrees with the noun shabaha.

In Swahili, verbs and related forms often agree with the noun class of the subject.
Shabaha belongs to the N-class singular, and the corresponding subject marker here is i-, giving:

• i-ko = it is

So:

• Shabaha ... iko wazi = The aim ... is clear

If the subject were plural, the agreement would change.

Shabaha is usually treated as a class 9/10 noun, often called the N-class.

That matters because Swahili grammar uses noun classes to determine agreement. The class affects:

• subject markers
• possessive forms
• adjectives and other modifiers

In this sentence:

• shabaha is singular class 9
• so the subject agreement is i-
• therefore we get iko

If you changed the noun to a different class, the agreement form would also change.

Yes, wazi functions like an adjective or descriptive word meaning clear, open, or obvious.

In iko wazi, it describes the state of shabaha.

Depending on context, wazi can mean:

• physically open
• clear or understandable
• obvious or evident

Here it means clear or obvious, not physically open.

No. Swahili does not normally use articles like English the and a/an.

So:

• shabaha can mean an aim, the aim, or just aim
• mpango can mean a plan or the plan

The exact meaning depends on context. In this sentence, English naturally translates it as the aim of the plan is clear.

Yes. Lengo is another very common word for goal, aim, or objective.

For example:

• Lengo la mpango liko wazi = The goal of the plan is clear

Notice that when you change shabaha to lengo, other parts of the sentence also change:

• lengo is in a different noun class
• so ya becomes la
• and iko becomes liko

That is a good example of how noun classes affect agreement in Swahili.

A natural plural version would be:

• Shabaha za mipango ziko wazi = The aims of the plans are clear

Changes:

• shabaha stays the same in form, but here it is plural by meaning
• ya becomes za
• mpango becomes mipango
• iko becomes ziko

So the agreement shifts to match the plural noun structure.

Swahili word order is fairly flexible in some contexts, but the normal, neutral order here is:

• Shabaha ya mpango iko wazi

That is the clearest and most standard way to say it.

You might see variations for emphasis in longer discourse, but for learners, it is best to keep this order:

• subject
• modifier
• verb/state expression

So this sentence is a good model to copy.

Mpango is pronounced roughly as m-pah-ngo.

A few tips:

• the m is pronounced clearly, even before p
• ng here is the hard sound heard in finger, not the final sound of sing
• stress in Swahili usually falls on the second-to-last syllable, so the stress is on pa

So it sounds approximately like:

• m-PA-ngo

Not always. Wazi has a broader meaning that includes:

• open
• exposed
• clear
• obvious

Examples:

• Mlango uko wazi = The door is open
• Jambo hili liko wazi = This matter is clear
• Ni wazi kwamba... = It is obvious that...

So in your sentence, wazi means clear in the sense of being easy to understand or obvious.