World Kiswahili Day July 7th 
The 7th of July was officially recognised as World Kiswahili Day by the United Nations in 2022.
MTM Awards partnered by Bristol Black Carers organised the first World Kiswahili Day celebrations in the United Kingdom and Europe.
The event was a networking evening of music and culture in the River Room of the House of Lords courtesty of the Lord Speaker of the House, and hosted by Lord Sandy Verma.
Swahili is a Bantu language enriched vocabulary wise by loan words from
other languages but mainly by Arabic. It is the mother language of the
Waswahili who are found along the East African coast and the islands of
Zanzibar, Pemba Kilwa and the Comoros.
Swahili is one of three official languages (the others being English and
French) of the East African Community (EAC) countries, namely Burundi,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania,
and Uganda.
other languages but mainly by Arabic. It is the mother language of the
Waswahili who are found along the East African coast and the islands of
Zanzibar, Pemba Kilwa and the Comoros.
Swahili is one of three official languages (the others being English and
French) of the East African Community (EAC) countries, namely Burundi,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania,
and Uganda.
It is a lingua franca of other areas in the African Great
Lakes region and East and Southern Africa, including some parts of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi, Mozambique, the
southern tip of Somalia, and Zambia. Swahili is also one of the working
languages of the African Union and of the Southern African Development
Community.
Lakes region and East and Southern Africa, including some parts of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi, Mozambique, the
southern tip of Somalia, and Zambia. Swahili is also one of the working
languages of the African Union and of the Southern African Development
Community.
The number of Swahili speakers, be they native or second-
language speakers, is estimated to be over 250 million.
language speakers, is estimated to be over 250 million.
The Waswahili, as most are known as, have a rich culture of not only a highly developed
language but a rich culture which includes mature customs and traditions
like the Kirumbizi dance and the chakacha dance in weddings.
Its ear-pleasing taarab music enjoys established musical instruments like the
gambusi, a guitar-type string instrument, nzumari, a traditional flute and
the piano accordian and nowadays a keyboard.
Its literature is rich and most Swahili speaking people have adopted the tenets of Islam as
their main faith.