Kiswahili was adopted by Rwanda Government as its 4th Official language after Kinyarwanda, English and French by Law no 02/2017 OL of 20th April 2017.
Despite its high importance and relevance for regional integration, wider communication and african identity, its use and development is yet to be felt among Rwandans who still consider it as a language of illiterate and uncivilized.
Professor Pacifique Malonga, the most popularly known promoter of Kiswahili since 2005 when he signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the then Rwanda Information Office (Orinfor), to teach Kiswahili three times weekly on Radio and Rwanda TV, with no payment, says that “we still have a long way to go”.
This Writer and journalist faces a very big challenge to keep promoting Kiswahili in Rwanda. With his tireless and tremendous efforts he invested in Kiswahili book writing, public lectures in higher learning institutions and sensitisation campaigns in different districts, publication of beginners books and a trilingual “English-Ikinyarwanda-Kiswahili ” dictionary, Prof Malonga deplores lack of reading culture among Rwandans.
In this context, in May 2020 he started a Kiswahili library with over 416 Kiswahili books, Kiswahili CD and DVDs, for borrowers and readers.
Professor Malonga who has been fully working benevolently for the last 15 years, working with the East African Community Kiswahili Commission and African Union Academy of Languages (ACALAN) is now faced with a huge challenge at this particular time of Covid-19 pandemic.
With his language promotion Office Becos, which is is the only privately owned office in Kigali involved in the promotion of Kiswahili, Professor Malonga is calling and appealing to all well wishers, Kiswahili friends and all stakeholders to kindly and generously contribute and rescue the Office and mission which is nearly closing its door and services.
Prof. Malonga is also a board member of global Kiswahili speakers association, CHAUKIDU, chich was formed after many years of appeals, preparations, and many debates amongst lovers of Swahili from various parts of the world, all of who wanted to see the formation of an association devoted to cooperating with other associations and institutions so as to propel Swahili to higher levels of recognition and growth in and outside Africa. CHAUKIDU was launched and had its constitution promulgated in a meeting held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on April 26, 2012.
Below are some of works produced by Malonga Pacifique for the promotion of Kiswahili.
