Easily the most important indigenous African language, Kiswahili is one of the two most widely spoken African languages, alongside Hausa. With an estimated 50 million speakers (compared to Hausa’s estimated 25 million), Kiswahili’s significance on the African continent is impossible to underestimate. The development of the Kiswahili language, with its powerful Arab and colonial influences, makes it an intriguing point of study for linguists, historians as well as Africa focused enterprises. Kiswahili is classified as a member of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo subfamily of the African language family. An estimated 15 primary Kiswahili dialects are in existence (with disregard to its various pidgin forms). There are three dominant dialects. The first, Kiunguja, is spoken on Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. This serves as the basis for the standard Kiswahili language. The remaining two are Kimvita (which is spoken in Mombasa and Kenya) and Kiamu (which is spoken on the Kenyan island of Lamu and adjacent coastal areas).