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The East African Kiswahili Committee has opened its call for abstracts for a major regional conference, and for the first time, artificial intelligence will share the podium with Africa’s most widely spoken language, drawing sharp interest from tech developers, researchers, and linguists across the bloc.

For Somalia, a non-Kiswahili-speaking nation moving closer to full East African integration, the timing is strategic. As the bloc actively builds AI systems trained on its own languages using local data and infrastructure, a policy officially adopted by EAC ministers in Kigali this April, Kiswahili is being positioned not merely for preservation but for the digital age . The East African Kiswahili Commission (EAKC) argues that indigenous input is critical; without it, global tech giants risk overlooking key cultural nuances.

Researchers have until the end of June to submit their work.

The conference itself will be held in Bujumbura, Burundi, from July 5th to July 7th, 2026, running alongside the 5th World Kiswahili Language Day celebrations .