Kifaa kikipata umeme, kitaanza kufanya kazi.

Because the two ki parts are doing different jobs:

• the first ki- is the subject marker agreeing with kifaa (device), which is a class 7 noun
• the second -ki- is a verb marker meaning if/when

So:

• ki-faa = device
• ki-ki-pata = it if/when gets

This doubling is normal in Swahili. It just happens that both markers look the same here.

Here, -ki- marks a conditional or time relationship, often translated as:

• if
• when
• once

So Kifaa kikipata umeme can mean something like:

• If the device gets power...
• When the device gets power...
• Once the device gets power...

The exact English choice depends on context.

Because Swahili usually builds the subject into the verb.

In kitaanza:

• ki- = it (agreeing with kifaa)
• -ta- = future tense (will)
• -anza = begin/start

So kitaanza means it will start.

Swahili does not need a separate subject pronoun here the way English does.

It breaks down like this:

• ki- = subject marker for kifaa
• -ta- = future tense
• -anza = start / begin

So:

• kitaanza = it will start

This is a very common Swahili pattern:

subject marker + tense marker + verb stem

Because once kifaa is the subject, the verbs that refer to it must agree with its noun class.

That is why you get:

• ki-kipata
• ki-taanza

Both verbs are showing agreement with kifaa, a class 7 noun.

Even if the noun is mentioned explicitly, Swahili still normally keeps the matching subject marker on the verb.

Literally, kufanya kazi means to do work:

• kufanya = to do / to make
• kazi = work

But very often it is used idiomatically to mean:

• to work
• to function
• to operate

So in this sentence, kitaanza kufanya kazi means it will start working / it will begin to function.

It most directly means electricity. In many practical contexts, though, English may translate it as power, especially with machines and devices.

So kikipata umeme can be understood as:

• if/when it gets electricity
• if/when it gets power

Both are natural depending on context.

It can be either.

The -ki- form is often flexible and can express:

• a real condition: if
• an expected event: when
• a sequence: once

So if the speaker is talking about a general condition, if works well.
If the speaker expects it definitely to happen, when or once may sound better in English.

Yes. Swahili can also say the main clause first, for example:

Kitaanza kufanya kazi kifaa kikipata umeme.

That still means roughly It will start working if/when the device gets power, though the original order is often more straightforward.

Putting the conditional clause first is very common, especially in writing.

Kifaa is a singular noun in class 7, which often has the prefix ki-.

That matters because verbs and other words must agree with that noun class. So you see ki- appear in the verbs:

• kikipata
• kitaanza

If the noun were plural, the agreement would change.

For example:

• vifaa = devices
• Vifaa vikipata umeme, vitaanza kufanya kazi.
• If/when the devices get power, they will start working.

Here ki- changes to vi- because vifaa is class 8 plural.

Yes, if the subject is already clear from context.

For example, if everyone already knows you are talking about the device, you could say:

Kikipata umeme, kitaanza kufanya kazi.

That means When/if it gets power, it will start working.

The full noun kifaa is included when the speaker wants to make the subject explicit.

Because Swahili does not always use a separate word equivalent to English to in this kind of structure.

After kuanza / anza (to begin / start), it is normal to use another verb in the infinitive:

• kuanza kufanya kazi = to start working / to begin to work

So the meaning of English to is expressed by the Swahili verb pattern itself, not by a separate little word.