Rwandan lawmakers approved the Swahili as the official language of the country to the detriment of French and reducing the use of the English language. The decision was made to move the country away from its colonial period and to re-approach local historical roots.
Once considered only a dialect, Swahili will gradually enter, officially, into the daily life of the population. In this first moment, the language will be applied in administrative matters and some official documents.
Swahili is already an official language in Tanzania, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. In addition, the language is widespread on the southeast coast of Africa, in countries such as Mozambique, Malawi, and Ethiopia. Estimates indicate that there are between 50 and 100 million people who use the language.
+ Swahili is a Bantu language, with many Arabic influences, and has emerged as a trading language on the Southeast African coast. The phrase “Hakuna Matata”, popularized in songs and films, is Swahili and means “do not worry” or “without problems”