Fifty Years of Kiswahili in Regional and International Development

Abstract

Kiswahili is undoubtedly one of the most developed and expansively used indigenous African languages nationally and internationally. At the dawn of African states political independence, the founding fathers of the nations led by Kwame Nkrumah considered Kiswahili as an appropriate language for African states unity. Adoption of Kiswahili as the universal language of African continent could have gone a long way in realising the dream of the founding fathers of one people, one nation, one language. However, as history bears witness, their dream remained just a wish. On the contrary, Kiswahili, though not accorded Africa continent political recognition, has continued with its linguistic conquest and expansion further from its indigenous base in the East Africa’s coast to various countries in Africa and beyond. The status and usage of Kiswahili has shifted and grown with the political, social and economic growth of nations which use it for various purposes. Currently, it is a regional language in East African countries where it wears several hats as a vernacular, national & official language, lingua franca and a vehicular in various spheres of life. Internationally, Kiswahili has curved for itself a linguistic sphere in the field of academia and international communication. This paper therefore seeks to document and asses Kiswahili’s participation in the last fifty years in national, regional and international developments.