Move to make Kiswahili an elective subject ill-advised

Sadiki Sexwale

Reports that Kiswahili language will not be mandatory in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and candidates are to be examined on sign language, is to say the least, tragic.

I say so for two reasons: Language is an important tool of culture as it is the only way to define somebody’s identity and; Kiswahili has started to grow roots, thanks to polished Kiswahili broadcasters who have not only made Kiswahili news on radio and television sweet to listen to and watch, but also lovable.

Large market

There are now at least four FM national radio stations doing all their programmes and news in Kiswahili. A look at the commercial advertisements on electronic and print media — all laced with a Kiswahili enticing phrase — also confirm that Kiswahili has a larger market not only in politics, but also on socio-economic aspects. Worldwide, some multinational corporations, among them Microsoft and Linux, have incorporated Kiswahili into their software to capture the fast-growing market.

This is amazing for a language that a few years ago was seen as a communication tool for the un-educated and undignified.

Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) appears to have forgotten that Kiswahili has been a compulsory language in both primary and secondary examinations for many decades. It also flies on the face of the proposed draft constitution, which has recommended Kiswahili joins English as an official language.

The timing of the directive is wrong considering member states of the East African Community (EAC), with more than 130 million people are moving towards a political integration, and Kiswahili is to be the lingua franca and a language for socio-political mobilization.

French speaking Burundi and Rwanda who joined the EAC recently, have started to embrace Kiswahili while the Ugandan parliament last year enacted its law to make Kiswahili Uganda’s second official language. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation adapted Kiswahili as one of its working languages since 1980. The African Union adapted Kiswahili as one of its official languages from 2000 and some of its chairmen, including Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete, have addressed the annual meetings in Kiswahil.

Kiswahili has over 150 million speakers worldwide and the language is taught in major universities and other tertiary institutions of the world by people who are not "Africans". So who are we to " mutilate" it? Like one Kiswahili scholar noted we might find ourselves soon , importing not only western technology, but also Kiswahili.

The KNEC directive also goes against President Kibaki’s announcement in 2006 that Kiswahili should be used more to build national cohesion. We need it more now after the post-election violence of 2008.

Address masses

At Independence in 1963, our national leaders proclaimed in their speeches that Kiswahili be the national language to facilitate oneness. Today President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga communicate with the Kenyan masses in Kiswahili whenever there is anopportunity.

It is unfortunate the KNEC appears to have consulted itself yet there are many Kiswahili stakeholders, scholars, authors and other interested parties.

The writer is a freelance journalist.