This was a big move. The UN resolution, tabled by Tanzania and Kenya on behalf of the African Group in New York, recognises the role played by Kiswahili language in promoting peace, unity, socio-economic development and cultural diversity, as well as creating awareness and fostering dialogues among peoples.
While hailing this move, Prof. Kimani Njogu a scholar and communications expert based in Nairobi said: “It is now only a matter of time before Kiswahili becomes one of the official languages of the United Nations.”
Similar views have been held by many Kiswahili enthusiasts around the world, including the popular Kiswahili poet, Nuhu Bakari from Kenya. It is a move in the right direction, given the spread of Kiswahili in the world which is now ranked by UNESCO as the 10th most widely spoken language globally, with over 200 million speakers spread across the world.
Three years ago in 2021, UNESCO, the UN agency that promotes education, scientific and cultural issues, proclaimed 7th July as the World Kiswahili Day in recognition of the global relevance of Kiswahili as a language of global communication.
This year’s theme for Kiswahili Day is “Kiswahili: Education and Culture of Peace”.
In sub-Saharan Africa where Kiswahili has the most speakers, the language is used in learning institutions, both as a medium of education and as a subject. In Tanzania and Kenya, Kiswahili is the language of instruction in elementary and primary schools. It is the language used in most schools to teach not just humanities and sciences, but also other languages including English.
Given that Kiswahili is understood by many children even before their school years, it becomes a worthy tool for education. As learners advance in their education, Kiswahili becomes a subject that is examined.
Dr. Caroline Asiimwe, the Executive Secretary of the East African Kiswahili Commission, and who previously taught Kiswahili at Makerere University in Uganda, emphasizes the need to use Kiswahili in promoting education.
She says that, currently, all the eight countries of East African Community (Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania) are obligated by resolutions to have Kiswahili as a subject in their curricula.
This, Dr. Asiimwe says, will hasten the integration of the region.
Globally, Kiswahili continues to grow. The language is now taught in virtually all the continents. In the US, Kiswahili is taught in more than 100 universities and schools. It is also taught in Canada, Europe, Asia, South America and virtually in every corner of the globe.
In Africa, more countries are embracing the language. In southern Africa and other parts of the continent, the language is now offered in schools.
And as the continent continues to trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Kiswahili continues to play a key role in business transactions and integration across borders. It remains the most-widely spoken African language on the continent.
Speaking to Africa Renewal, Dr. Ayub Mukhwana, a social linguist and senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi, says: “Kiswahili language remains a lingua-franca in the African continent for now. From a socio-linguistic perspective, a language does not become an international language just because it is spoken in two or more countries but when such countries become politically and economically empowered.”
The passing of the UNGA resolution recognizing Kiswahili is a step towards this internationalization.
For decades, Kiswahili has been used to foster unity and peace in the African continent, especially in East Africa, Horn of Africa, Great Lakes, the DRC and parts of southern Africa. It was used in the fight for freedom and is currently an official and working language of the African Union (AU), the South African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC).
In this regard, Kiswahili is used as a driver of peace, unity, and harmony. It is also used to promote social and economic development and the implementation of Agenda 2030 and hence the realization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
