This study was intended to investigate the causes of poor perfonnance of pupils m Kiswahili within selected primary schools in Malindi district Kenya. All primary sources that is; the articles and all other important citation by other researchers were consulted which helped to give a clear picture of what the whole study was meant to entail. A descriptive design was adopted since much of what was to be presented was to be theoretical. Questionnaires and interview guides acted as the main tools of data collection. The findings revealed that pupils are not given assignments for Kiswahili subject, lesson plans are not carried out by the teachers and teachers also claim that they are not satisfied with the salary they get. The research study also pointed out that most of the teachers did not have Kiswahili as their first choice as a career, and they do not use Kiswahili to communicate with the pupils. It was recommended that learners should be assessed more as Kiswahili subject is taught daily.