Burundi will host the fifth World Swahili Language Day celebrations and the third international conference of the East African Kiswahili Commission (KAKAMA) from July 5 to 7, bringing together delegates from across East Africa and beyond to discuss the future of Kiswahili in the era of artificial intelligence.
The conference, which precedes World Swahili Language Day on July 7, will gather representatives from East African Community partner states including Burundi, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Tanzania, as well as international organisations, diplomats, academics, civil society and private sector stakeholders.
This year’s theme, “Kiswahili, Multilingualism and Artificial Intelligence,” reflects growing regional efforts to expand the role of African languages in emerging technologies such as machine translation, speech recognition and large language models.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Kamisheni ya Kiswahili ya Afrika Mashariki (KAKAMA) Executive Secretary Dr Caroline Asiimwe said the Swahili language celebrations will be preceded by the Third KAKAMA Conference, followed by World Swahili Language Day on July 7.
She said the commission’s conferences are held every two years, providing partner states with a structured platform to engage on language policy, integration and development.
Dr Asiimwe said the initiatives have helped East Africans benefit from opportunities created through Kiswahili, which continues to strengthen regional trade, communication and mobility.
“Kiswahili has been recognised as a language of international status, with the potential to contribute to development across East African Community partner states,” she said.
She added that Kiswahili’s reach across about eight partner states enables investors to access regional markets more easily.
“The Kiswahili language can enable investors to tap into various opportunities available in member countries, given that it is spoken across about eight partner states of the Community,” she said.
Dr Asiimwe said Kiswahili is also increasingly supporting small businesses, including those in rural areas, as artificial intelligence tools allow users to operate in their preferred language. “Kiswahili also enables even entrepreneurs and businesspeople in rural areas to choose the language they want through artificial intelligence tools, allowing them to communicate effectively,” she said.
KAKAMA said in a statement that although Kiswahili is spoken by tens of millions of people, it remains underrepresented in digital systems and artificial intelligence tools, raising concerns over potential digital inequality.
“If this gap is not addressed, there is a risk of excluding millions from digital education, e-commerce, financial services and e-government platforms due to language barriers,” the commission said.
It said discussions in Bujumbura will focus on language rights in digital spaces, data ownership, ethical AI use, cultural preservation, and the role of youth and the private sector in advancing language technologies.
Expected outcomes include a “Bujumbura Declaration” on Kiswahili and artificial intelligence, policy recommendations for integrating African languages into AI systems, and a regional roadmap for language technology development.
The commission warned that the rapid rise of artificial intelligence makes it urgent to ensure African languages are not left behind in the digital transition, saying unequal access to language technologies could deepen socio-economic disparities.
World Swahili Language Day, observed annually on July 7, was first proclaimed by UNESCO in 2021, making Kiswahili the first African language to receive an international day within the United Nations system. It was later endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 2024.
KAKAMA said Kiswahili is now an official language of the African Union and the East African Community and is also used within the Southern African Development Community, underscoring its growing regional and international role.
The conference will bring together policymakers, researchers, technology experts, innovators and media practitioners, with sessions including panel discussions, research presentations, workshops and technology exhibitions focused on language innovation.
The commission urged journalists to use standard Kiswahili and adopt artificial intelligence tools responsibly in reporting and content production, saying the media plays a key role in shaping public understanding of language and technology.
“Proper use of Kiswahili will contribute to regional integration and ensure the language benefits from advances in artificial intelligence and the digital economy,” it said.
KAKAMA, headquartered in Zanzibar, is a body of the East African Community mandated to promote and coordinate the development and use of Kiswahili across partner states.
