Language choice for development the case for swahili in Kenya
Abstract
Development, aimed at a general improvement of the quality of life
in society, should target the majority and not the minority at the exclusion of the
majority. Attainment of such development, in turn, calls for involvement of people
in making decisions as well as in the plans for their implementation. They will
then feel that they own those efforts and participate more enthusiastically in
efforts to achieve stated goals. This calls for an effecive communication system to
link the government and other development agencies on the one hand, and the
public on the other, enabling an appropriate flow of information between the two.
If well utilized, the media would play a very significant role in ensuring such a
flow of information. This article examines the role played by the media in trying
to achieve the stated development goals in Kenya. While it would have been more
effective to reach people in their first languages, considering the multilingual
nature of the Kenyan society, the challenges are many. Fortunately, there is
Swahili, a language spoken and understood by many, not only in Kenya, but also
in the rest of East and Central Africa. In spite of the potential it has to reach a
wider audience, it is not adequately utilized in the media. Language practice in
the media relies more on the use of English to communicate important
information intended to reach all, irrespective of the first language spoken and
knowledge of English. In order not to continue excluding the majority from
public discourse on development and other national issues, the article calls for a
change in the language policy in the media
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