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Apparently none, at least as far as being named in the constitution. English is mentioned in some legal texts as official (L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde). There is some discussion now of giving Swahili an official status (article in East African Standard). Swahili and English are languages of government (L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde).
Swahili is mentioned in some legal texts as the national language (L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde).
About 60 are spoken, notably Kikuyu (Gikuyu), Luo, Luyia, and Meru (each over 1 million speakers). Ethnologue has an extensive list at http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=KE
The Kikuyu, Meru, Gusii, Embu, Akamba, Luyha (or alternate spelling of Luyia), Swahili and Mijikenka (which in fact is a group of different ethnic groups) constitute the majority of the Bantu speaking peoples of Kenya. (Webbook)
There is a Swahili-English slang called "Sheng" which is popular especially among the young in uban areas.
Swahili, Kikuyu, Luo/Acholi/Lango, Luyia, Meru, Kamba, Maasai, Kalenjin, Teso/Turkana
The site L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde has a page on Kenya at http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/afrique/kenya.htm
Three institutions "involved in or responsible for African Language research" in Kenya (UNESCO 1985). Updated information is needed:
UNDP (2006) gives a literacy figure (without reference to which language[s]) of: 73.6%
Before colonisation, Swahili was written in the Arabic script. This practice continues [verify] even though the language is currently written in the Latin alphabet.
The Latin script is used for other Kenyan languages. A chart showing the digraphs and diacritics used in some of them is available at: http://www.bisharat.net/A12N/KENYA-table.htm
Abdulaziz (1991) discussed the possible standardisation of orthographies of Kenyan languges, but this apparently has not been attempted [need further information]
UNESCO (1985) reported the following periodicals (name, frequency of publication, circulation, language). Updated information is needed:
There is a suggestion that the politicization of language as a marker of "tribalism" (which is seen negatively) is discouraging use of languages other than Swahili (need reference).
"There have been significant changes in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in Kenya over the last ten years, despite the lack of a legislative framework to guide it. While it is difficult to capture all the developments in detail, the formation of the multi-stakeholder Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) has been a remarkable achievement. Through the network, an inclusive policy process has been catalysed, resulting in the country’s first draft ICT policy document, approved by cabinet in February 2006." (Munyua and Mureithi in GISW 2007)
"The Kenya Communications Act No. 2 of 1998 unbundled the Kenya Postal and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC) into five separate entities: the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), which is the regulator; the National Communications Secretariat (NCS), which serves as the policy advisory arm of the government on all matters pertaining to the information and communications sector; the fixed-line operator, Telkom; the Postal Corporation of Kenya (POSTA); and a Communications Appeals Tribunal." (Munyua and Mureithi in GISW 2007)
The Communication Initiative Network site has a page on "Kenya ICT4D National Policy" at http://www.comminit.com/en/node/148320
The APC page, "ICT Policy in Kenya " has some information and links:
ICT info http://www.emich.edu/ict_usa/KENYA.htm
Ubuntu Kenyan Team has a page at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KenyanTeam
(See also specific language pages.)
(See also specific language pages.)
There is apparently Swahili SMS, not sure about user interfaces.
Abdulaziz, M.H. (1991) "Standardization of the Orthographies of Kenyan Languages." In N. Cyffer et al, Language Standardization in Africa. Hamburg: Helmut Buske Verlag. Pp. 189-213.
APC, "ICT Policy in Kenya," Africa ICT Policy Monitor, http://rights.apc.org/africa/index.shtml?apc=s21843e_1 ("Politiques de TIC en/au Kenya," Observatoire des politiques des TIC en Afrique, http://afrique.droits.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s21843e_1 )
Balancing Act Africa. 2005. African Internet Country Profiles, Part 2, East Africa. London: Balancing Act. http://www.balancingact-africa.com/profile2.html
Dwyer, David (1997), Webbook of African Languages, http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/hiermenu.html (page on "Meru," http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/Meru_root.html )
International Telecommunications Union (ITU). 2006. World Information Society Report 2006. Geneva: ITU. http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/publications/worldinformationsociety/2006/wisr-web.pdf
______. 2004. African Telecommunication Indicators 2004. Geneva: ITU.
Internet World Stats: Africa. 2006. http://internetworldstats.com/africa.htm
"Kiswahili Could Become Second Official Language." The East African Standard (Nairobi), May 9, 2005. http://www.eastandard.net/ (article at http://allafrica.com/stories/200505090814.html )
Leclerc, Jacques. L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde, "Kenya," http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/afrique/kenya.htm
Munyua, Alice W., and Muriuki Mureithi. "Kenya." Global Information Society Watch (GISW) 2007 Report http://globaliswatch.org/en/node/500
SIL International, Ethnologue: Languages of the World, "Languages of Kenya," http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=KE
UNDP. 2006. ''Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis. Human Development Report 2006.'' New York: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). [Human development index Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and older) (HDI) http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/statistics/indicators/3.html ]
UNESCO Regional Office for Education in Africa. 1985. African Community Languages and Their Use in Literacy and Education: A Regional Survey. Dakar: UNESCO.
Vodafone. 2005. "Africa: The Impact of Mobile Phones." The Vodafone Policy Paper Series, Number 3, March 2005. http://www.vodafone.com/assets/files/en/GPP%20SIM%20paper.pdf
Wikipedia, "Communications in Kenya," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_in_Kenya
______, "Languages of Kenya," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Kenya
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