By George Bukenya
In an effort to encourage Ugandans to appreciate and learn Kiswahili as a unifying communication language in the East African Community (EAC)Region, government will roll out the Kiswahili Programme in every Districted.
According to the Second Deputy Prime and Minister for EAC Rt.Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, government will soon launch and establish Kiswahili learning and Teaching Centre in each District or Local Government so as to enhance communication aiming at improving business dealings.
This was revealed to the Media through a press statement authored by Kadaga and read to the media in a press conference held at the ministry’s office in Kampala on 15TH July, 2024 by the State Minister Hon. James Magode Ikuya.
The Statement indicated that the launch will be held in early October in Jinja City as a pilot study then after wards it will be rolled out in all the Districts of Uganda.
The United Nations gazette Kiswahili as one on the common languages that people use in while communicating in Africa as a continent.
Magode said that government have already trained trainer of trainers and teachers who will help roll out the Programme of teaching Kiswahili even on the lowest level and he implored Ugandans to just embrace the Programme.
“ Uganda is improving in using Kiswahili as a communication tool and Ministers have also been taught. But we what to be at the level of Tanzania and Kenya much as we are better than other community members States,’’ Magode said.
The Secretary General of NRM Richard Tadwong who also spoke in the same press conference said that Ugandans have been missing out on the big positions of the EAC jobs due to the hindrance of not being proficiency in using Kiswahili while communicating.
“ Our people have been missing taking job within the EAC secretariat due to lack of proficiency in speaking and writing Kiswahili and this has prompted government to embark in teaching citizens the language at no cost,’’ Tadwongo said.
He also said that the first batch of people who enrolled for Kiswahili lessons are about to complete a 12 months course that they have been undertaking since September last year and these will have graduated with certificates that will be a warded by a credible awarding institution which he didn’t mention.
Tadwongo said that a total of 700 Ugandans from different parts of the county especially from Kampala have been taking lessons at the Ruling Party Headquarters along Kyadondo Road in Nakasero every Wednesday and Saturday.
“ We are nearing the end of the first-intake of the Kiswahili Class which shall climax with a grand graduation at Kololo Independence Grounds on 27th September this year and will be graced by H.E President Museveni,’’ Tadwongo revealed.
Meanwhile a selected group of Kiswahili learners have been flagged-off to go on a seven-day tour to Tanzania and Zanzibar with a core objective of interacting with the real Kiswahili environment.
“ This guided tour shall enable our learners to come face-to face with the native Kiswahili speakers thereby impacting on their knowledge and proficiency of the Kiswahili language,’’ Kadaga’s States reads in parts.
It should be noted that the embracing and learning of Kiswahili in Uganda have been moving at a slow pace especially in the Central Region because many people here perceived it as a language for military and thieves.