Nikiwa roshani, naweza kuona kama daladala imesimama kwenye makutano.

Nikiwa is a compact way to say when/while I am.

It breaks down as:

• ni- = I
• -ki- = a marker often used for when / while / if
• -wa = be

So Nikiwa roshani literally means something like while I am on the balcony or when I am on the balcony.

This kind of form is very common in Swahili for giving background information before the main action.

Because the sentence is not just stating your location. It is linking that location to another action.

• Niko roshani = I am on the balcony
• Nikiwa roshani, naweza... = When/while I am on the balcony, I can...

So Nikiwa makes the first part a dependent clause that sets the scene for the main clause.

Roshani usually means balcony, veranda, or a similar raised outdoor part of a building, depending on context.

In this sentence, roshani is best understood as balcony.

Swahili often allows location words to appear without an extra preposition, especially after forms of kuwa or in fixed expressions.

So:

• Nikiwa roshani = natural
• Nikiwa kwenye roshani = also possible, and a bit more explicit

Both can work, but the shorter version sounds normal and idiomatic.

Both are used.

• ninaweza = the fuller form
• naweza = a very common shortened form

Both mean I can or I am able to. In everyday Swahili, the shorter form is extremely common.

Here kama means whether or if.

So kuona kama... means to see whether... or to see if...

This is different from other uses of kama, where it can mean like or as.

In this sentence, it introduces an indirect yes/no question:

• ...kuona kama daladala imesimama... = ...see whether the bus has stopped...

Daladala is a common East African Swahili word, especially in Tanzania, for a minibus or public bus used for local transport.

It is one of those nouns whose singular and plural often look the same:

• daladala = one bus
• daladala = buses

The meaning depends on context.

Because daladala belongs to noun class 9/10, and in the singular it commonly takes the subject marker i-.

So:

• daladala imesimama = the bus has stopped

Compare that with a person:

• mtu amesimama = the person is standing / has stopped

Here a- is used for a person, but i- is used for daladala.

Imesimama comes from kusimama, which can mean to stand or to stop.

In this sentence, it most naturally means has stopped or is stationary.

It breaks down like this:

• i- = subject marker matching daladala
• -me- = perfect marker, often giving the idea of has
• -simama = stand / stop

So imesimama can suggest both:

• the bus has come to a stop
• the bus is now standing still

That double meaning is very normal in Swahili.

Often both.

The Swahili -me- form frequently describes a completed action with a present result. So imesimama can mean:

• it has stopped
• and therefore it is stopped now

That is why English translations may vary depending on context.

Kwenye makutano means at the intersection or at the junction.

• kwenye = at / on / in the
• makutano = intersection, crossroads, junction

So the phrase gives the location where the bus may have stopped.

Because kwenye is a very natural locative word for places and points in space.

With roads, corners, junctions, and similar locations, kwenye often sounds more natural than a more general preposition-like word.

So kwenye makutano is a normal way to say at the intersection.

The given order is very natural because it starts with the background condition and then gives the main statement:

• Nikiwa roshani, naweza kuona...

You could also say:

• Nikiwa roshani, ninaweza kuona...

That is just a fuller version of the same idea.

Moving the first part to the end is possible in some contexts, but the original order is the most natural if you want to set the scene first.

Yes, in many contexts -ki- can mean if, when, or while.

Which one sounds best depends on the situation.

In this sentence, when/while I am on the balcony is probably the best fit, because it sounds like a real viewing situation rather than a hypothetical one. But grammatically, the form itself can cover several related meanings.

You absolutely can say that.

• Nikiwa roshani = a bit shorter and very natural
• Nikiwa kwenye roshani = more explicit, also natural

The version without kwenye is just more compact. Swahili often prefers this kind of economy when the meaning is already clear.