Govt wants new independent body in charge of Kiswahili
A teacher conducts a lesson at Victorious Primary School, Kampala, in May. Uganda's Education ministry says it has already distributed Kiswahili textbooks to schools and trained teachers. PHOTO/RACHEL MABALA
What you need to know:
- The council will support and facilitate the institutions that undertake Kiswahili related research and training by establishing networks and partnerships.
The ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development (MoLGD) has introduced the Uganda National Kiswahili Council Bill 2023, which among others seeks to establish an independent body in charge of promoting the language.
If passed into law, the Bill which was on Wednesday tabled by the minister of state for disability affairs Hellen Asamo, will establish a Kiswahili council to promote the usage of Kiswahili in the administrative, judicial and legislative processes and as a medium of communication and instruction in Uganda’s educational institutions.
Equally, the council will support and facilitate the institutions that undertake Kiswahili related research and training by establishing networks and partnerships.
Speaking to Monitor, Asamo revealed that it is important to strengthen the propagation of Kiswahili Uganda to ease communication and transaction of businesses with other East African countries using the language.
“Kiswahili is considered as the East African language but not yet a priority here. Therefore, the establishment of this council will establish and maintain linkages with the institutions in Uganda and in the East African community,” Asamo observed.
“The council is also expected to focus on Kiswahili research, journal and manual publications as well as translating key EAC policy documents to ease communication in Kiswahili by business person cross-borders,” she added.
On Wednesday, Parliament Speaker Anita Among referred the Bills to the Parliamentary sectoral committee on gender, labour and social development for scrutiny with a condition to report to Parliament within 45 days.
The 21st Summit of the EAC Heads of State in 2021 declared that Kiswahili be adopted as an official language of the Community.
However, the proposal to establish a new Kiswahili body in Uganda comes at a time when government tabled over 15 amendment Bills for merger of its agencies into mother ministries.
“The Kiswahili council is independent and it was already welcomed by cabinet,” she held.
