Bujumbura. The third International Kiswahili Conference has opened in Burundi, marking the start of discussions on how artificial intelligence (AI) can be harnessed to advance the Kiswahili language across East Africa and beyond.
The two-day conference, which precedes World Kiswahili Language Day commemorations, officially opened on Sunday, July 5, 2026, in Bujumbura.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Executive Secretary of the East African Community Kiswahili Commission (KAKAMA), Dr Caroline Asiimwe, said the conference had formally launched efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into the development and promotion of Kiswahili.
Executive Secretary of the East African Community Kiswahili Commission (KAKAMA), Dr Caroline Asiimwe
Dr Asiimwe also urged media organisations producing Kiswahili content to adopt editorial policies that include programmes dedicated to promoting and developing the language across East African Community member states.
She said KAKAMA has continued to champion opportunities for the growth of Kiswahili and called for greater investment in the language, stressing that its future depends on collective commitment rather than expecting support from external investors.
Dr Asiimwe further revealed that the commission is exploring partnerships with Kiswahili stakeholders to establish training courses for journalists who lack proficiency in the language.
Officially opening the conference, Burundi's Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Lydia Nsekera, called on East African Community citizens to accord Kiswahili the recognition it deserves as a vital language of regional unity.
She noted that while Kiswahili speakers were once unfairly stereotyped as unruly, attitudes have changed significantly, with those seeking to learn the language today increasingly regarded as educated and progressive.
