East Africa: Writing for Kiswahili Language Revolution

opinion

Words are not just words to novelist Enock Maregesi. Words are the bricks of our world and they have the power to change it, he believes. But words can also frustrate him. Recently he passed through Manzese in Dar es Salaam and noticed a written sign on the BRT lanes. 'Danger! Do not cross' it said in English. He raises his eyebrows and asks with a bitter smile:

"What will they do if people don't understand and get hurt?" he asks. "Road signs say 'Diversion' in English and not in Swahili. Why not in Swahili? We are a Swahili country. That is colonialism. We are being colonised without knowing it," he says.

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