DAR ES SALAAM, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has underscored the importance of Kiswahili (Swahili language) in forging a sense of East Africanness and unity on the journey toward an integrated East Africa.

A statement, issued late Friday by the East African Community (EAC) headquarters in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha, said Nabbanja made the call during the 2nd World Kiswahili Language Day celebrations, where she represented President Yoweri Museveni in the Ugandan capital of Kampala.

She said the East African region is highly diverse ethnically and linguistically citing 56 tribes in Uganda, 42 in Kenya, and more than 120 in Tanzania, adding that Kiswahili would come in handy in forging a common sense of identity for all East Africans.

"As East African Community, we need to create a shared sense of identity within a highly diverse linguistic society and promote East African unity," said Nabbanja.

"For Uganda to smoothly integrate into the EAC, it should consider the crucial role of Kiswahili in promoting the regional integration agenda for sustainable development," she added.

Kiswahili, widely spoken in the Eastern African region, has received more recognition across the African continent in recent years. - Xinhua