Aisha Jumwa
The Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, Arts and Heritage, Aisha Jumwa, has announced that the government is considering declaring a National Kiswahili Language Day.
Speaking during the official opening of the 2nd East African Kiswahili Commission International Conference in Mombasa, Jumwa said the move was aimed at promoting the Kiswahili language and its unifying effect across the region.
“In Kenya, we are discussing the possibility of designating a special day, possibly the 7th of July, when every Kenyan, including the President, judges, civil servants and teachers, will be expected to speak exclusively in Kiswahili,” Jumwa said.
The Gender CS noted that the government is in the final stages of establishing the National Swahili Council to develop specific strategies, methods and policies needed to promote and develop the language in the country.
CS Aisha Jumwa
She mentioned that the Kenyan government is also working with national and private stakeholders involved in the development of Swahili.
Jumwa urged East Africans to be proactive in developing Kiswahili and other African languages to enhance their global competitiveness.
“Kiswahili is spoken by more than 200 million people worldwide. This shows that our efforts to promote the language are yielding results and we should continue with these efforts,” said the former Malindi MP.
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