Editing Kilinux (section)

== Background ==
Swahili is a [[Bantu languages|Bantu]] language spoken by about 100 million people in [[Kenya]], [[Tanzania]], [[Uganda]], [[Malawi]], [[Mozambique]] and other areas in or near the [[African Great Lakes]] region.<ref name="BBC" /> Most users are using [[Microsoft Windows]] and [[Microsoft Office]], but since that is not available in Swahili,<ref name="ZDNET">{{cite news|title=OpenOffice.org goes Swahili|first=Ingrid|last=Marson|work=[[ZDNet]]|date=6 December 2004|accessdate=30 December 2011|url=http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/application-development/2004/12/06/openofficeorg-goes-swahili-39179058/}}</ref> they have to use English or French.<ref name="BBC">{{Cite web|accessdate=1 January 2012|publisher=[[BBC]]|title=L'Afrique dit "Jambo" aux logiciels libres|language=French|date=15 December 2004|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/french/highlights/story/2004/12/041215_openofficejambo.shtml}}</ref> Kilinux tried to reduce the threshold by localizing Open Office.<ref name="pambazuka">{{Cite journal|issn=1753-6839|journal=[[Pambazuka News]]|url=http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/internet/27220|title=East Africa: Kilinux OSS Innovation Propels ICT localization in Ki-Swahili|first=Aloyce|last=Menda|date=17 March 2005|issue=198|accessdate=6 January 2011}}</ref> In June 2004 Microsoft announced a Swahili version of Windows.<ref name="BBC eng">{{Cite web|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4078753.stm|accessdate=1 January 2012|date=9 December 2004|title='Jambo' to open source software}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611211054/http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2418/050201africa/|archivedate=11 June 2008|accessdate=2 January 2012|title=Microsoft bets on Africa's IT future|url=http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2418/050201africa/|date=2 January 2005|publisher=[[IDG News Service]]}}</ref>