Prof PLO Lumumba addresses participants during Russian Language Day celebrations at the United Nations Office at Nairobi on June 8 /HANDOUTPan African Scholar PLO Lumumba has called for Kiswahili to be adopted as an official language of the United Nations, saying the language deserves greater recognition on the global stage.
Speaking during Russian Language Day celebrations at the United Nations Office at Nairobi on Monday, Lumumba said African languages should receive the same international recognition accorded to other major world languages.
"We too in the continent of Africa look forward to the day that Kiswahili will become an official language of the UN," Lumumba said.
He made the remarks as diplomats, academics and students gathered to mark Russian Language Day, an annual observance held by the United Nations to promote multilingualism and cultural diversity.
Lumumba linked his appeal to the broader importance of language in preserving culture and identity.
"As the saying goes, in English, he or she who forgets his culture is a slave," he said.
He said the relationship between Russia and Africa has a long history, noting that Russian broadcasters were among the earliest international media outlets to transmit programmes in Kiswahili.
According to Lumumba, Russia's engagement with African languages and cultures demonstrated the importance of linguistic diversity in fostering international understanding.
He also recalled the historical significance of Patrice Lumumba University, which was established in Moscow during the Soviet era and named after the late Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba.
The scholar further highlighted the influence of Russian literature in Africa, citing writers such as Nikolai Gogol, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Alexander Pushkin.
He said generations of African students had encountered Russian literature through educational institutions and public libraries, contributing to cultural exchange between Africa and Russia.
While congratulating Russia on Russian Language Day, Lumumba said the celebration should also serve as a reminder of the need to promote other languages, including those originating from Africa.
He urged supporters of multilingualism to back efforts aimed at securing wider international recognition for Kiswahili.
"So we celebrate the Russian language, we celebrate the contribution that it has made in the arts and in the sciences, but on this day we also send a message to the world through you, the Russians, that the time is now for you too to agitate that Kiswahili becomes an official language of the United Nations," Lumumba said.
Kiswahili is one of Africa's most widely spoken languages and is used across East Africa and parts of Central and Southern Africa.
The African Union adopted Kiswahili as one of its official working languages in 2022.
