Japo uwasilishaji ulioshindikana ulikuwa jana, kipeto kiko salama.

Japo means although, though, or even though. It introduces a contrast:

• Japo ... , ...
• Although ... , ...

So the sentence is setting up one fact and then contrasting it with another fact.

Not exactly.

• japo = although/even though
• lakini = but

So japo introduces a subordinate clause, while lakini joins two main clauses.

Compare:

• Japo uwasilishaji ulioshindikana ulikuwa jana, kipeto kiko salama. = Although the failed delivery/submission/presentation was yesterday, the package/item is safe.

• Uwasilishaji ulioshindikana ulikuwa jana, lakini kipeto kiko salama. = The failed delivery/submission/presentation was yesterday, but the package/item is safe.

Both are possible, but japo gives a more direct although structure.

Uwasilishaji is a noun made from the verb -wasilisha, which can mean to present, to deliver, or to submit, depending on context.

This noun means something like:

• presentation
• delivery
• submission

depending on the meaning already given in your lesson.

A useful learner idea is that Swahili often forms action nouns from verbs, a bit like English -tion or -ing words.

Swahili normally does not use articles like English a, an, or the.

So a noun like uwasilishaji can mean:

• a delivery/submission/presentation
• the delivery/submission/presentation

The exact meaning comes from context. If Swahili wants to be more specific, it can use other words such as demonstratives:

• uwasilishaji huu = this delivery/submission/presentation
• kipeto hicho = that package/item

So the lack of the is completely normal.

A helpful breakdown is:

• u- = agreement with uwasilishaji
• -li- = past tense
• -o- = relative marker, meaning something like that/which
• shindikana = fail / not work out / be unsuccessful

So ulioshindikana literally means something like:

• which failed
• that was unsuccessful

That is why uwasilishaji ulioshindikana means the delivery/submission/presentation that failed or the failed delivery/submission/presentation.

Because they do two different jobs.

• ulioshindikana describes uwasilishaji
• ulikuwa is the main verb of that clause

So:

• uwasilishaji ulioshindikana = the delivery/submission/presentation that failed
• ulikuwa jana = was yesterday

Put together:

• uwasilishaji ulioshindikana ulikuwa jana = the failed delivery/submission/presentation was yesterday

So this is not repetition. One verb form is inside a relative clause, and the other is the main predicate.

Here, -shindikana gives the idea that something did not work out, failed, or was unsuccessful.

Compared with -shindwa:

• -shindwa often means to be defeated, to fail to do something, or to be unable
• -shindikana often describes a situation or event that cannot succeed or does not go through successfully

In this sentence, ulioshindikana makes good sense because it describes the event itself as unsuccessful.

A rough contrast:

• Alishindwa kuwasilisha = He/She failed to present/deliver/submit
• Uwasilishaji ulishindikana = The presentation/delivery/submission failed / did not go through

Because both forms agree with uwasilishaji.

Swahili verbs and related forms usually show agreement with the noun they refer to. Uwasilishaji belongs to a noun class that takes u- agreement, so you get:

• u-li-o-shindikana
• u-li-kuwa

That u- is not the same as English you or anything like that here. It is just noun-class agreement.

Kiko salama is a very natural way to say that something is safe or in a safe condition.

Here:

• kipeto is a noun with ki- agreement
• kiko matches that noun class

So kiko salama means it is safe.

You may also see ni used in other kinds of equational sentences, but with states or conditions like this, a form like kiko is very natural and idiomatic.

Kiko is the present form that agrees with a ki- noun such as kipeto.

You can think of it as something like:

• it is
• it exists
• it is located
• it is in a certain state

depending on context.

So in this sentence:

• kipeto kiko salama = the package/item is safe

The important learner point is that kiko matches the noun class of kipeto.

Jana means yesterday, and in normal Swahili word order, time expressions often come after the verb or near the end of the clause:

• ulikuwa jana = was yesterday

So:

• uwasilishaji ulioshindikana ulikuwa jana

is a natural order.

Yes, Swahili word order can be somewhat flexible for emphasis, and the whole sentence could also be reordered, for example:

• Kipeto kiko salama, japo uwasilishaji ulioshindikana ulikuwa jana.

But the original version is a very normal, clear way to say it.