Promoting Kiswahili literature

Literary and cultural agents, educational stakeholders, corporate and ambassadorial entities, representatives from various units of the government together with ordinary citizens and those from other parts of the world gathered last Monday to celebrate African languages in the prize giving ceremony of the Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature.
Subsequent to their sincere and utmost passion for literature and their profound love for African languages, Dr Lizzy Attree, the Caine Prize Director, together with Dr Mukoma Wa Ngugi, an author of novels, poetry and assistant professor at Cornell University, sought to perpetrate and take part in preserving and promoting the status of African languages through the Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature.
Prof Abdilatif Abdalla, the chair of the board of trustees of the prize, solely expressed to the audience during the prize giving ceremony  that the goal of the Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature is intended to recognize writing in African languages and encourage translation from, between and into African languages.
Further stressing on the prize, Prof Abdillatif purported for that the competition seeks to create a bridge and intends to strengthen the connection among African countries. He asserted for that the adherence of our respective languages will facilitate effective communication amongst Africans and this will altogether rekindle and promote the African unity agenda.
Mama Salma Kikwete, the Ambassador of Kiswahili in Africa and the wife to the former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete, who was the guest of honour of the prize giving ceremony insisted on the need of valuing our language. “We need to feel pride in our language. We need to acknowledge the fact that Kiswahili bare the same value as any other language and never should we demean our language or any other culture whatsoever,” she said.
Moreover, Mama Salma uttered on the need of us to be the agents and ambassadors of Kiswahili in Africa and abroad.  “Language has no boarders. We need to take a front row position and become pioneers of our respective language across borders to facilitate effective communication,” she insisted.
Applauding the organizers of the Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature, the honorary ambassador of Kiswahili language, Mama Salma called for more initiatives and other stakeholders to join hands in furthering the Kiswahili language and African language in propagating utter mental emancipation amongst the general public.
“I sincerely praise the organizers, Dr Lizzy and Dr Mukoma, ALAF and SAFAL group companies and all other partners who found it needful and of much importance in investing in the literary competition, but also in the Kiswahili language in general, of which is our language for liberation,” she stressed.
The Deputy Minister of Information, Culture, Artists and Sports, Ms Anastazia J. Wambura, further stressed on the need of other corporate and other parts to follow ALAF’s lead and invest in Kiswahili and other cultural initiatives to tap in the promising market of the language with its gigantic number of speakers.
“With about 95% of companies using Kiswahili language in their adverts depicts the promising nature of Kiswahili language in the marketing aspect. Subsequent to this opportunity, clearly posed… it will definitely be of great significant for such companies to invest in the language as they seek to communicate their business to a wider audience and market,” she expounded.
Dr Hans Musa, of TATAKI and the chairman of the East African Kiswahili Committee (CHAKAMA), on the other hand elaborated on the ongoing initiatives taken to facilitate the expansion of Kiswahili language and also addressed on the role of the University of Dar es Salaam in proliferating the agenda.
However, Dr Hans elucidated that the fight of promoting Kiswahili language is not to be anyhow directed in opposing nor condemning other languages; but instead Dr Hans insisted that all the initiatives undertaken are sought to restore the position of the language that it sought to have.
The winners of the Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature; Mr Idrissa Haji Abdalla, Mr Hussein Wamaywa and Mr Ahmed Hussein Ahmed in their respective capacity also accredited the position and role taken by organizers and sponsors in promoting Kiswahili language through the literary discourse.
Mr Idrissa Haji Abdalla, who triumphed in the fiction category with his novel titled “Kilio cha Mwanamke” explained to Success his delight in regards to the scope of the competition that has sheer intent of promoting the literary discourse and Kiswahili language.
“It is definitely a great privilege for our literary works to be acknowledged; and as per my stand it is an obvious pleasure that my work has clinched the first spot. And with this accolade and initiatives of the like, I am certain the prospects of Kiswahili and Kiswahili literature is glooming,” said the winner of Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature.
Mr Ahmed Hussein, the winner of the poetry category and the only winner from Kenya, also expressed on the prospects of Kiswahili language with similar kind of competition and with various higher learning institutions worldwide, as of today, teach Kiswahili language,
“There is sheer joy seeing Kiswahili being taught in various universities in the world and this provides numerous opportunities for the blossoming nature of Kiswahili,” he said.
Mr Ahmed however stressed that there is a need to magnify extensively the extent of Kiswahili in other East African nations; and he therefore states his desire to see authors from Uganda, Rwanda and other East and Central African countries emerging victorious in the future competition and other similar kind of competition.
However, the winners of the competition also insisted on the need of the government to intervene on promotion of similar kind of literary prizes and also initiating the promotion of Kiswahili language.
“The government should initiate more contests of like and similar platforms to nurture the talents of new breed of authors,” explained Mr Wamaywa, the runner up in the fiction category and whose other work was shortlisted.
Mr Wamaywa while praising the Mabati Cornell Prizes, also added that it is about time for the government, in its sake to promoting Kiswahili literature and literature at large, to revise educational curriculum to pave way for the introduction of rather contemporary literature in schools in attempt to share new ideas and information relevant to the prevailing scope of life.
On the other hand, Tanzanians and other Kiswahili speakers have been urged to take part in such competitions as they are the appropriate platform to showcase their talents and skills and also the suitable forum for their subsequent growth.
Mama Salma Kikwete whilst calling for budding authors to take note of the competition and compete in the next, also stressed on the need for female authors to exploit such platforms to voice their concerns through literature.
The emphasis comes as subsequent to the fact that the 2016 competition had been dominated with male authors; whereas as of 2015 the winner was a woman, Ms Anna Manyanza.