The Ugandan government led by President Kaguta Museveni has announced the adoption of Swahili as an official language. In its statement, the government ordered the language to be studied as a compulsory subject in school. On Tuesday, the government released a documentation that approved the adoption of the Swahili language for official use in the country. With immediate effect, the cabinet also explained that all secondary and primary schools will adopt teaching Swahili classes to enhance dominance of the subject.
The statement read, “Cabinet recommended that the teaching of Kiswahili language in primary and secondary schools should be made compulsory and examinable. It was also further agreed that training programmes for Parliament, Cabinet and the media be initiated.” It shall be recalled that in 2019, Uganda National Kiswahili Council was pushing for the introduction of Swahili in the syllabus.
On her further extent, the push the body made played a huge role in its implementation. The story has raised so many mixed reactions online. A section of Ugandans stated that the initiative is a good idea since it will promote interactions with other countries that have already adopted the language.
Uganda gained its independence in 1962 and English has been the only official language. As of today, Swahili language is being spoken by over two hundred million people. This forced the AU, African Union and Southern African Development Community to also adopt Swahili as an official language. Kenya and Tanzania have the largest number of Swahili speaking communities.
In Rwanda, Swahili is also dominant. Uganda joins the list of other East African countries who have adopted the official use of Swahili. Language is a very important aspect in communication. When parties speak the same language, they connect more. What are your thoughts on this story? Do you think this decision was a good initiative? You can comment down below.
Facebook Comments