Ministry honoured for promoting Kiswahili
ZANZIBAR; THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation has been awarded for outstanding excellence in marketing and promoting the Kiswahili language on the international stage during the national celebrations of World Kiswahili Day.
The award was officially presented to the ministry and received by the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Said Shaib Mussa, on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahamoud Thabit Kombo, during celebrations held in Zanzibar.
The ministry was honoured for its leadership in engaging with various centres for teaching the Kiswahili language globally through its diplomatic missions abroad, while also promoting the use of Kiswahili in international and regional forums.
Being observed on July 7 every year since its inception by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2021, the 4th celebration was held in different parts of the world including, Zanzibar, Rwanda and Paris in France with different activities including dialogues.
In its efforts, the ministry has made Kiswahili interpreters available at international forums, greatly enhancing the status and usage of the language.
The award was presented and handed over to Ambassador Mussa by the Second Vice-President of Zanzibar Hemed Suleiman Abdulla in an event attended by top and senior government officials from both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar.
The celebration was preceded by the International Kiswahili Marathon held on June 28, 2025, in Arusha, followed by the “Mwanamke Hazina” event on July 5, 2025, in Zanzibar, where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation participated in both events.
Through its revised Foreign Policy launched recently by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Dar es Salaam, among the thematic areas stressed is the use of Kiswahili as an instrument of diplomacy and mobilising international resources for national development.
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Tanzania has also led the initiative to institutionalise Kiswahili as the fourth working language of regional blocs, officially recognising it as the Fourth Official Working Language of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) during the 39th Summit of Heads of State and Government in August 2019.
The East African Community (EAC) also designated Kiswahili as its official language during the 21st Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State in February 2021 and it was also recognised as an official language of the African Union during the 35th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in February 2022.
Through the 41st session of its General Conference in 2021, the UNESCO adopted resolution 41C/61, which acknowledged the contribution of Kiswahili language to the promotion of cultural diversity, awareness-raising and intercultural dialogue.
The resolution declared July 7th as the World Kiswahili Language Day.
While deeply rooted in Tanzania, Kiswahili has grown into a pan-African language, fostering unity, identity and dialogue across linguistic and cultural borders and is the first African language to receive such recognition from the United Nations.
The celebration of Kiswahili day began at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, on July 4, this year, where the Permanent Delegations of East African Member States to UNESCO, in collaboration with the UNESCO Secretariat, prepared a panel discussion to celebrate the 4th World Kiswahili Language Day
