Tanzania, April 14 -- Dar es Salaam. The long-running national debate over the language of instruction in Tanzania has returned to centre stage after celebrated writer and poet Abdilatif Abdalla called on the government to honour the legacy of Julius Nyerere by making Kiswahili the official language of teaching in schools.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam on April 14, 2026 during the presentation of the National Mwalimu Nyerere Creative Writing Awards, Mr Abdalla said Tanzania has both the history and capacity to make the shift.

"In honour of Mwalimu Nyerere, I humbly ask the government of Tanzania to reconsider this matter. Let Kiswahili become the language of instruction in our schools. It is possible," he said.

His remarks revive one of th...