A Kenyan initiative is seeking to establish Kenyan English as a distinct variety of the language, with applications in education, artificial intelligence and cultural preservation.

The KENGLEX Project, spearheaded by Teknobyte Limited, aims to document and codify the rules governing how Kenyans speak and write English, providing a foundation for its recognition alongside other established varieties, such as British and American English.

The project recognises that the English spoken by Kenyans differs from other varieties not only in usage but also in pronunciation. For instance, it notes that Kenyans often incorporate Swahili words into spoken English, a practice commonly known as code-switching.

In recognition of this, Kenyan English has now been defined and documented through a process known as codification and now sits alongside British and American English as a recognised language variety.

The codified language serves as a resource that can support the development of locally relevant educational materials, language technologies and artificial intelligence systems, while strengthening recognition of Kenya's linguistic identity.

The resource is available through an online dictionary, kenglex.com, which provides the meanings and pronunciations of words used in Kenyan English and translates them into standard English.

The initiative will be presented to the public on Wednesday afternoon by Dr Muceni Gakuru, Managing Director of Teknobyte Limited and lead researcher at the KENGLEX Project, at Daystar University through a lecture featuring a live demonstration of a speech system developed using the project's linguistic rules.

The project is also seeking partnerships, research collaborations and investment to expand its work, while calling on the government, universities and policymakers to support research and allocate resources towards the development of Kenyan English.

The initiative is expected to spark discussions on how English varieties shaped by local cultures and histories can be documented and recognised, including in other countries grappling with similar postcolonial language questions.