English speakers have had it easy online and the internet is still considered as a very western network. But we have to make it our own too - if only to protect our cultures and language

Swahili scholar Omar Bwana

"We believe the net is supposed to be for everyone," says Sammy Kimathi, Swift Global Kenya's Internet content manager.

"And we expect our Swahili portals to play a leading role in stimulating further development of the Internet in both Kenya and Tanzania, as well as throughout East Africa."

The two-month-old sites combine both local and international content about East Africa, as well as a search engine in the native language, a feature that gives them an edge over other online services in the region.

Reviews

According to Mr Kimathi, the Swahili portals provide the most comprehensive directory of reviewed web sites in and about East Africa.

Swahili web words

surf - rambaza internet - Mtandao web site - Sahifa web page - kurasa e-mail - barua pepesi point and click - lenga na bofya

What's more, one can search in Swahili looking for local records in the Swahili database - each entry having been edited and indexed, allowing the user to save both time and energy when searching.

Orientation Kenya and Orientation Tanzania connect into local online Swajili communities through their direct Web-based access to local Usenet discussion groups and IRC chat channels.

News and interactive polls also feature and both sites are already attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors a month.

"The Swahili community is underserved in terms of portals to the web and Swahili content. We are filling this gap by giving Swahili speakers what other users in other countries already have," says Mr Kimathi.

Boost

Omar Bwana, a Swahili scholar and consultant based in Nairobi, says the launch is a tremendous boost to the usage and development of Swahili as a tech-savvy international language.

Sam Kimathi: Providing popular services but in Swahili

"English speakers have had it easy online and the internet is still considered as a very western network. But we have to make it our own too - if only to protect our cultures and language."

In the chat rooms, says Mr Bwana, Swahili surfers can now discuss the newest words on the streets and online, and "these online contributions can form the basis for a new technology-based Swahili".

Internet insiders believe that building a Web that can only speak in one language will no longer be good enough in the future.