KDF aims to have more officers who excel in Chinese to promote communications and exchanges between the two countries. The programme director, Wang Shangxue, stated that 26 officers were already enrolled on the course, provided in collaboration with the University of Nairobi.
Inauguration of the language at the Defence Forces School in Nairobi was presided over jointly by the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Liu Xianfa, and the Assistant Chief of Defence Forces in charge of Operations, Planning, Doctrine and Training, Maj Gen Fredrick Leuria.
“The course formally started on March 8 and the trainees have studied basic Chinese and learned expressions such as greetings and self-introductions over the past month, and many of them are doing remarkably well,” stated the director.
“In addition to language, the officers will also study and experience traditional Chinese cultures, such as calligraphy, martial arts and music, at the institute regularly, she added.
The first cohort of trainees is expected to teach Chinese to more military personnel in Kenya after mastering the language. According to the Chinese Ambassador, speaking Mandarin has become a valuable asset owing to the increasing number of Chinese businesses gaining prominence worldwide.
He lauded KDF for supporting the program, noting that it would strengthen relations between Kenya and China. Mandarin is one of the six official languages of the United Nations, with learners increasing globally in recent years.
By December 2020, over 70 countries had officially incorporated the Mandarin language into their national education system. Some countries that have adopted the language in their public learning institutions include the United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and South Africa, among others.
