Fifty Years of Kiswahili in Regional and International Development

Abstract

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. Introduction Kiswahili is a language of the Niger-Congo family which Ethnologue has classified as ISO 639- 3: SWA (Lewis 2009). It is a lingual franca in Eastern Africa and Central Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is also spoken in some parts of some Southern Africa countries i.e Mozambigue, Malawi and Zambia. Presently, it has spread to Southern Sudan through the returning refugees from Kenya. (Choge, 2007-2008, Moshi, 2006 & Kishe 2003). Presently, there are many international speakers of Kiswahili in countries outside the main Kiswahili geolinguistic zone in Africa. It is estimated that it has about 150 million speakers (Choge 2007-2008). It is currently an official language in DRC, Tanzania and in Kenya (Mulukozi, n.d & Kenya Law Report 2010). Kiswahili origin is the East Coast of Africa. Its presence in East Africa coast dates back to many years into the dispersion of Bantu ethnic groups that had settled at Shungwaya. After this dispersion, later day Kiswahili speakers migrated east and settled along the East African Coast along the Indian Ocean from Mogadishu in Somalia to the North and to the Mouth of River Lurio in Mozambigue to the South and in the various island that dot this coastline (Choge 2007-2008, Chiraghdin & Mnyampala 1977). The outside world (China, India Arabia, Persia, Rome) had a long history of barter trade with this East coast of Africa for centuries trading in:- porcelain, cowry shells, beads, cloths, wheat, rice, sesame oil, wine, cotton cloths reed honey called sacchari, spices kitchen ware and weaponry i.e hatchet, daggers and awls in exchange for animal products-rhinoceros horns, elephant tusks and tortoise shells, wood products, minerals- gold, copper, ivory and diamond and later in human beings during the era of slave trade (Kiango 2005 & Schoff, 1912) Kiswahili was spread into the hinterland of East Africa during this time by Kiswahili speakers who were either porters or leaders of caravans. The caravans established centres in the hinterland for replenishments, collection and holding points for goods. These points also became centres of islamization. Kiswahili therefore served both religion and business. These contacts with the outside world left a lot of material and linguistic relics in Kiswahili culture which are still evident today.1 This paper therefore discusses the roles Kiswahili has played regionally and internationally since the last fifty years when most African states secured their independence. …

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