Meaning:

mvutano

nm (mi-) [u-/i-] tension, struggle.

(nm means nomino, noun)

From Swahili.it / Swahili-English Dictionary

www.swahili.it/glossword/

[Part of Speech] noun

[Class] 3/4

[Swahili Example] katika jaribio la kupunguza mvutano uliopo na Uchina waziri mkuu wa Japan Junichiro Koizumi amesema nchi yake inakabiliana na ukweli huo wa kihistoria kwa unyenyekevu

[English Example] in an effort to reduce tension in China, the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said that his country is facing these facts of history with humility

(I think there is a typo, *Japani)

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:sw:Countries

From Academic: http://swahili_english.enacademic.com/10246/mvutano

https://www.duolingo.com/dictionary/Swahili/mvutano/c587332034efc85e84305027d9fd73d8

So is gravity the wrong answer?

Grawity is a good answer because gravity means - a pull ( synonym ). Between the planets is exactly - gravity. :)

Tension between planets? That makes no sense physically. Tension is an internal force in a rigid or elastic body. Between planets you would have gravity, but not tension, unless the planets are tied together with a rope or cable.

Yes, this means 'Gravitation between planets'. When you look up mvutano in the Swahili Wikipedia, you get redirected to: https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graviti