Which language families are spoken by many people in Eastern Africa?

In Eastern Africa, the population speaks languages belonging to three primary language families:

• Afro-Asiatic: This family is widely represented in the Horn of Africa. It includes the Cushitic branch, spoken by groups such as the Oromo and Somali, as well as Semitic languages, spoken by groups like the Amhara and Tigray in Ethiopia and Eritrea.12
• Bantu: These languages, which are part of the Niger-Congo family, are spoken by a large portion of the population in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Swahili, a Bantu language, serves as a major lingua franca across the region.132
• Nilo-Saharan: Speakers of this family, particularly the Eastern Sudanic branch, are found in Uganda and the rift valley areas of Kenya and Tanzania. Prominent groups include the Luo, Maasai, and Kalenjin.24