Kiswahili Movement

The National Language of Tanzania

In 1962, Julius Nyerere, president of the newly independent Republic of Tanganyika (later named the United Republic of Tanzania), delivered his Republic Day speech in Kiswahili. He then declared Kiswahili the national language. Kiswahili would be used in all spheres of educational, economic, and political activities. In 1967, Kiswahili was declared the official language and the policy of Ujamaa was adopted, which, in part, maintained that the resurgence of Africa and her people must be rooted in the values and traditions of African people. Kiswahili was to be used as the sole language of instruction in primary schools, and most government documents, forms, labels, and so on were to be translated into Kiswahili. There were several governmental agencies created to implement Tanzania's new language policy. Tanzania became the lone model for instituting African language policy in newly independent African nations, while the rest of the former colonies were maintaining European colonial language policies. In fact, a significant debate rages in Tanzania today, which is echoed throughout Africa, between advocates of colonial languages and advocates of African languages. As a result, many of the policies implemented by Nyerere have since been modified and English has been accommodated.

The International Language of Africa

In the mid-1960s, some African scholars, notably Kenyans Ayi Kwei Armah and Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, began advocating the use of Kiswahili as a pan-African language. In 1966, activist Maulana Karenga created the African holiday Kwanzaa and its accompanying principles, the Nguzo Saba, using Kiswahili words. Every year, Kwanzaa is celebrated by millions of Africans all over the world. In 1977, the Kiswahili movement continued at the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) held in Lagos, Nigeria. Heading the African American delegation, the Us organization, led by Karenga, promoted the adoption of Kiswahili by Africans everywhere. Karenga and others believe that Kiswahili is a logical choice for a pan-African language because it is not attached to a large ethnic group and is similar in structure to many other African languages, and not a tonal language, making it easier to learn. By the beginning of the 21st century, Kiswahili was the first choice of language instructors in Afrocentric schools, suggesting that a new generation of youth will be exposed to the popular language.

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