Microsoft to launch in Kiswahili

BBC NEWS | Africa: "Kiswahili will be one of the new languages due to be added in a global local languages programme in response to complaints from around the world that youngsters were losing their native tongues, says Mr Opiyo. The company argues that in a region with few computer users and high illiteracy rates, the Kiswahili version of Windows will inspire East African governments to expand their IT economies, encourage literacy campaigns and attract more computer users.

There are 100 million Kiswahili-speakers in the region - in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and parts of the Horn of Africa, Great Lakes, Malawi, Mozambique and the Indian Ocean islands. The other big linguistic groups to benefit from the expansion in Africa will be Hausa and Yoruba in West Africa and Amharic and Somali in the Horn of Africa. "