Swahili Classes 2026

The Research Institute of Swahili Studies of Eastern Africa is a department of National Museums of Kenya Heritage Training Institute which offers Swahili classes at the National Museums of Kenya.

The Institute offers Four Modules :-

1. Kiswahili Language (Swahili Basic Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced)
2. Swahili Literature and Performance
3. Swahili Culture, History and Identity
4. Anthropology of the Swahili

We Currently have both face to face  classes . Kindly email us for booking arrangements

Lesson Schedule for 2025

Time

Cost

Registration is underway at the National Museums of Kenya. For more information contact:

Munira Mohammed munira@museums.or.ke

SWAHILI LANGUAGE COURSES
The National Museums of Kenya Heritage Training institute ( RISSEA) offers Swahili classes in Nairobi at the National Museums of Kenya Headquarters.
The Beginners’ Course
The Beginners’ Course comprises of basic knowledge of Swahili. Thus, our students are able to have basic conversations and perform everyday tasks, such as shopping, bargaining, socializing, making travel arrangements and other basic survival skills.The Beginners’ Course is tailored for regular students attending 2 hours a day, Monday to Friday. The course starts every calendar month and is of 4 weeks duration. Lessons start every morning at 09.00 am and end at 11.00 am in the morning. It has two levels.

The Intermediate Course
The Intermediate Course is building on the Beginners’ Course and working on students’ all-round language confidence. The aim of this course is to enable students to write essays, translate simple documents, reading newspapers and novels.The Intermediate Course is tailored for regular students attending 2 hours a day, Monday to Friday. The Intermediate Course starts every calendar month and is of 4 weeks duration. Lessons start every morning at 11.00 am and end at 1.00 pm in the afternoon. It has two levels.

The Advanced Course
The Advanced Course teaches students to express difficult concepts in Swahili and emphasizes on literature, poetry and translation of complex documents.The Advanced Course is tailored for regular students attending 2 hours a day, Monday to Friday. The Advanced Course starts every calendar month and is of 4 weeks duration. Lessons start every after noon at 02.00 pm and end at 04.00pm in the afternoon. . It has two levels.
Full Immersion ‘Crash-Course’
Our Full Immersion ‘Crash-Course’ caters for students who wish to squeeze as many hours of tuition and knowledge absorption as possible within a limited time frame. The goal is for the student to be conversant in Swahili within 1 week. The Full Immersion ‘Crash-Course’ starts every two, and is of 1 weeks duration. There is more emphasis on conversation and communication, and less emphasis on grammar ,for our students choosing the Full Immersion ‘Crash-Course’. Lessons start every morning at 09.00 am and end at 1.00 pm in the afternoon. Booking to be done four days before the class commences.

More lessons offered are:
• Private Lessons
• Tailor made Programmes

Private Lessons
The Private Lessons, cater for learners who require a tailor made programme, with respect to the learners’ level of language proficiency, as well as flexibility as to time schedule and venue. As to the number of learners, this programme caters for 1, up to a maximum of 2 individuals. This depends on the availability of the Tutors.

Online Bookings Only.
For more information contact:
Munira Mohammed: munira@museums.or.ke
RISSEA Liaison office is at the Louis Leakey Memorial building next to Cultural Heritage department door number A14.

Mombasa Contact.

Khalid Omar Mohamed Kitito
Coordinator, NMK-HTI
P. O. Box 82412-80100, Mombasa
Mobile: +254728030512