06/07/2026
🌍✨ Promoting Kiswahili in the Digital Era! ✨🌍
From Bujumbura, Burundi, the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Rt. Hon. Joseph Ntakirutimana, has called for greater inclusion of Kiswahili and African languages in Artificial Intelligence and digital innovation.
Speaking at the 5th EAC World Kiswahili Language Day and the 3rd EAKC Kiswahili International Conference, he emphasized that language is more than communication—it is a carrier of history, culture, identity, and values.
💡 Key highlights:
- Kiswahili is spoken by over 250 million people worldwide and continues to expand beyond East Africa.
- The Speaker warned that without deliberate efforts, African languages risk being excluded from the digital revolution.
- Collaboration among governments, academia, language experts, and tech developers is crucial to ensure inclusion.
- EALA is working with the East African Kiswahili Commission to integrate Kiswahili into parliamentary proceedings and digital tools.
- Youth engagement is central—empowering young innovators to build solutions that advance Kiswahili while creating jobs.
The conference theme, “Kiswahili, Multilingualism, and Artificial Intelligence”, reflects the urgent need to preserve Africa’s cultural identity while embracing digital transformation.
📜 The event is expected to produce the Bujumbura Declaration and a regional roadmap to guide stakeholders in promoting Kiswahili in the digital age.
🙌 Rt. Hon. Ntakirutimana concluded by urging all stakeholders to ensure Kiswahili thrives not only in schools and communities but also in the fast-evolving world of AI and digital innovation.
