- The forum will give experts room to interrogate how Kiswahili can keep evolving without losing its rich linguistic and cultural heritage
- The conference will conclude with recommendations aimed at strengthening Kiswahili research
Scholars, researchers and language experts drawn from across East Africa are set to converge at Kisii University on August 6 and 7 for the 23rd International Conference of the East African Kiswahili Association (CHAKAMA), a regional academic gathering whose relevance has been sharpened by the just-concluded global celebrations marking World Kiswahili Language Day.
The university will host the conference under the theme “Kiswahili na Utafiti katika Enzi ya Mabadiliko ya Kiteknolojia,” Swahili for “Kiswahili and Research in the Era of Technological Change,” according to Dr. Riro Matinde, the institution’s language official, who confirmed the event’s dates and focus.
Delegates are expected from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among other countries where Kiswahili continues to expand in use and influence, organisers said, underscoring the language’s growing footprint beyond its traditional East African base.
World Kiswahili Language Day, observed globally every July 7 under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), concluded this year with renewed attention on Kiswahili’s expanding role as a language of communication, cultural exchange and regional cooperation, setting the stage for the Kisii University forum.
This year’s observance highlighted how the language continues to connect communities, promote dialogue and strengthen ties across East Africa and beyond, themes that organisers say will carry directly into next month’s conference discussions.
The CHAKAMA conference will be an examination of how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, digital communication tools, language processing software and online learning platforms, are reshaping Kiswahili research, teaching and its broader application in education, scholarship and public communication, organisers said.
The forum will additionally give experts room to interrogate how Kiswahili can keep evolving without losing its rich linguistic and cultural heritage, a balance organisers describe as central to the language’s long-term growth.
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CHAKAMA, established on July 7, 2002, in Arusha, Tanzania, is a regional professional body bringing together Kiswahili scholars, linguists and university lecturers to advance research, teaching and the development of the language, and has over the years driven academic collaboration, research initiatives and the expanded use of Kiswahili in education, research and public institutions across East Africa.
The two-day event at Kisii University will feature keynote presentations, academic paper sessions, panel discussions and exhibitions spanning digital innovation, language technology, translation, literature, lexicography, corpus linguistics and modern approaches to Kiswahili teaching.
Dr. Francis Kareithi, another language expert at the university, said the conference would give researchers a platform to explore how technology can support the preservation, modernisation and global growth of Kiswahili, adding that the discussions were timely given the pace of technological change across the region.
Organisers expect the conference to conclude with recommendations aimed at strengthening Kiswahili research, encouraging innovation and deepening regional collaboration, positioning the language as a driver of knowledge creation, cultural exchange and sustainable development across East Africa.
By Yabesh Onwonga
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