Experts: How classroom habit damaged Kiswahili's status in Kenya

As the world marked World Kiswahili Language Day on July 7, Kenyans were provided an opportunity to reflect on how the country’s education system has shaped attitudes towards the language, and the challenges it continues to face.

Despite being one of Kenya’s official languages and uniting over 230 million speakers across East, Central, and Southern Africa, Kiswahili has historically held a lower academic profile than English.

Although Kiswahili ranks among the top 10 most spoken languages globally, many local institutions have prioritised English as the primary medium of communication.

In some schools, speaking Kiswahili is restricted or penalised, with exceptions made only on designated days of the week.

This approach has had a lasting impact on how consecutive generations perceive and use the language, according to Michael Kiguta, a lecturer at Kabarak University.

"The colonial system placed a lot of emphasis on English and neglected Kiswahili. The education system that followed continued to give English a higher position, making it the language associated with education, employment and international opportunities," Kiguta says.

He explains that many people who went through that system grew up believing that English represented success and intelligence, while Kiswahili was considered inferior.

For many Kenyans, these experiences remain deeply ingrained. In many schools, students caught speaking Kiswahili were forced to wear a "disk" or similar tag that identified them as offenders. The tag would be passed from one student to another throughout the day before those wearing it at sunset were punished.

Although the practice was intended to improve English proficiency, it instead associated Kiswahili with shame, guilt and embarrassment.

However, Dr Raphael Gacheiya, a lecturer at Egerton University, says the disk should be understood as part of a wider problem of how Kiswahili was positioned in society. He argues that while the punishment reinforced negative attitudes, it was not the original cause.

"The disk itself was not the issue per se. It only enhanced the perception that Kiswahili was a lesser language. The actual issue was the attitude and the status that Kiswahili had been given," Gacheiya says.

He explains that the deeper challenge lies in the unequal value attached to English and Kiswahili, despite both being recognised as official languages.

"The Constitution says English and Kiswahili are official languages, but is there anyone, even those studying Kiswahili at university, who would wish their certificate to be written in Kiswahili? How many employers would want that kind of certificate?" he asks.

Denis Bagwasi, a Kiswahili teacher, says negative perceptions towards Kiswahili remain deeply rooted, even among educators.

"Kiswahili is often viewed as the language of less educated people. Many people associate English with prestige, while Kiswahili is looked down upon," Bagwasi says.

He notes that many parents deliberately speak English at home because they believe it gives their children an academic advantage, leading children to grow up believing that English is superior.

While there is nothing wrong with ensuring children become fluent in English, doing so at the expense of Kiswahili creates a generation that struggles to communicate comfortably in a national language.

Schools also reinforce this imbalance. English remains the primary language of instruction for most subjects, while Kiswahili is largely confined to Kiswahili lessons. In some instances, even Kiswahili teachers explain difficult concepts in English.

"It is common to find Kiswahili teachers explaining Kiswahili concepts in English. When that happens, the language loses the chance to grow because learners are not immersed in it," Bagwasi says.

Sheng has also influenced how young people relate to Kiswahili. Many young people find Sheng easier because it allows them to combine Kiswahili and English in everyday communication.

"Sheng becomes attractive because it gives young people a way to communicate quickly. It combines the languages they interact with most, especially English and Kiswahili, but it can also make it difficult for some to develop confidence in Standard Kiswahili," says Kiguta.

However, Dr Gacheiya says the future of Kiswahili will also depend on how well it adapts to emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. He warns that much of the data used to develop artificial intelligence systems has historically been in English.

"Artificial intelligence in Kiswahili must be dynamic and flexible so that it can adopt, accept and incorporate emerging issues and terminologies as we advance technologically," Dr Gacheiya says.

Linguistic experts further argue that securing the future of Kiswahili requires increased funding to expand academic research and develop modern language resources.

For millions of speakers, Kiswahili remains more than an academic subject, serving as a key tool for regional integration, cultural identity, and economic opportunity.

Preserving it is ultimately crucial as it is widely seen as a regional heritage.