A Historical Perspective of the Language Policy in Kenya

This chapter gives a historical perspective of the language policy situation in Kenya. It deals with language policy from pre-independence period to date. Document analysis and observation were used to obtain information for this chapter. The authors, over the years, have interacted with parents, teachers, and students on the language policy issues in Kenya since they are language teachers as well. The new system of education, referred to as the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), is shown to have tried to revamp the place of indigenous languages in education. The chapter also describes the language practices in different institutions and areas of life, namely, schools, media houses, WhatsApp groups, public transport, government spaces, business spaces, religious spaces, and shrines. Additionally, it briefly addresses writing in indigenous languages and the practical contribution of the non-governmental organizations. It was observed that English dominates the education system even though Kiswahili is expanding its territory worldwide.