Errand meaning
Cambridge Dictionary gives two senses of the word. An errand is a task that means going somewhere to take a message, or to take or collect something.[1]
It's also a short trip to do something, such as buying or delivering things near home.[1] In Nairobi, that runs from a parcel at a bus office to a cake from the bakery.
The trip is what makes it an errand. Laundry at home is a chore. Collecting it from the dry cleaner is an errand.
30 examples of errands
Here are 30 everyday errands, grouped by type. Each one needs a person there, but not necessarily you.
Pick-ups
- A parcel from a bus or courier office
- An online order from a pick-up point
- A cake from the bakery
- Printing from the cyber
- Spare keys from the caretaker
Drop-offs
- Documents to an office
- A parcel to a courier office
- A gift to a friend across town
- A forgotten lunchbox to school
- A phone to the repair shop
Shopping runs
- The weekly grocery shopping
- The one thing you forgot
- School shoes in the right size
- Beadwork from the Maasai Market
- Mitumba from Gikomba
Collections
- A suit from the tailor
- Shoes from the cobbler
- Clothes from the dry cleaner
- A laptop from the repair shop
- Prints from the framer
For the home
- Light bulbs and batteries
- A replacement charger or cable
- Paint samples from the hardware
- Curtain fabric from the market
- Plants from a roadside nursery
For someone else
- A birthday gift, wrapped and delivered
- Groceries for an elderly parent
- A care package for a student
- Shopping sent to family upcountry
- Supplies for a party
Every one of these can go to an errand service in Nairobi. Send the task, agree the fee, and get updates as it happens.
Errands to keep for yourself
Some errands need you in person. Keep anything that needs your ID, your fingerprints, your photo or your signature in front of an official.
These usually need you there
- ID, passport and licence applications that take fingerprints or a photo
- Bank visits that need your ID or signature in person
- Medical appointments and tests
- Signing a lease or contract in front of a witness
- Anything that needs your PIN or password. Never share these.
Not sure? Ask the office whether someone can go on your behalf, and what they need to bring.
How to hand off an errand
A good handover means one trip, not three. Five things to include.
Say what, where and by when
Give the address, a contact at the other end and your deadline.
Send a photo
A photo of the item, the receipt or the collection slip saves guesswork.
Agree the fee first
Settle the fee before anyone sets off. With Tuma Sisi, you pay it on delivery.
Tell the other end
Let the tailor, office or caretaker know who's coming, so they hand it over.
Group them by area
Errands in the same part of town fit into one trip.
Sources
- errand, Cambridge Dictionary, accessed 30 September 2026.
Last updated 30 September 2026.
