France, March 4 -- In Mitahato, asmallvillagein rural Kenya, it's common to see words like bienvenue adorningentrances, and to hear people sayingbonjour or commentca va as they pass each other along the leafy pathways.This regional community north of Nairobi prides itself on having become the country's first French-speaking village.

After learning French while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, senior UN human rights advisorChris Mburu was inspired to open a library and learning centre in his Kenyan hometown.

Since then the French language has spread, withpeople of all ages gathering regularly at Mburu's centre- dubbed the "Mitahato French Village"- to learnFrench in the local dialect, Gikuyu.

"Mitahato has astounded Kenyans ...