UGANDA SHOULD EMBRACE KISWAHILI LANGUAGE BEFORE 2024

REASONS WHY UGANDANS SHOULD PUT EMPHASIS ON KISWAHILI BEFORE 2024

The government of Uganda through Hon minister Chris Baryomunsi has passed a resolution to start teaching Swahili language right away from primary level to Higher secondary in a bid to develop it for East African integration. This is after several avenues created and pressurw by EAC leaders to enhance a language that can unite them.

REASONS WHY THIS IS DUE.
With foreign companies now engaging in more business dealings in African countries, and the continent set to see continued growth, some of these African languages may go on to become power languages – languages with the potential to wield real and considerable influence. Swahili is a key language.

Swahili is spoken by over 100m people in Africa so it’s pretty hard to ignore a language that’s spoken by so many people. Its importance as a lingua franca is recognized by foreign media organizations such as the BBC, which broadcasts radio programs in Swahili. Radio Nyumbani in kamwenge district, UBC tv, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle (DW) have adopted similar tactics in their attempts to appeal to readers on the continent.
If you’re dealing with East Africa in any way, then it’s essential you take notice of the Swahili language.

Swahili is a Bantu language and therefore spoken by many communities that inhabit the Great Lakes region and other areas of southeast Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Mozambique. It’s particularly useful to have knowledge of Swahili if doing business in Kenya. The country is the largest economy in East and Central Africa and has seen massive growth in areas such as telecommunications in the last decade.

Swahili is the national or official language of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as being one of the official languages of the East African Community and African Union. It is a language of influence politically, economically and socially, and a knowledge of it can deepen business relationships. UNESCO has empowered it by scheduling 7th july as the international Kiswahili day. This shows how the language has gained momentum. We need to have it.

Swahili plays an important part in education in several African countries. Uganda made Swahili a required subject in primary schools in 1992 and its now compulsory in lower secondary as directed by Uganda National Curriculum Development Centre early 2019. It is also a compulsory subject in Kenyan schools and a distinct academic discipline in many public and private universities. With the next generation of leaders, as well as consumers all speaking Swahili, ignoring it would be short sighted.

Inter-African trade at this point in time is low. Poor transport connections and infrastructure have thus far capped business movements between African countries. However, as investment is made in improving logistics, trading languages will emerge to aid communication between different peoples. Swahili is well placed to become such a tool.
Swahili will become a language associated with IT and technology and, as a result, arts and culture. As investment continues in IT infrastructure and mobile and online solutions in countries such as Kenya, the economy will grow. When an economy grows so do people’s spending power, their exposure to information and their inventiveness and creativity. The result will be a flourishing tech-culture scene expressed through Swahili. “Swahilihood” is a term already starting to make appearances online.
Knowledge of Swahili will enhance the credibility of researchers interested in Africa. Areas such as big data, social media and digital information are growing and to gain critical insight into Africa’s evolving markets, having an understanding of Swahili will be very important.

The problem of multiplicity of languages in Uganda. The diglossic situations which perpetuate the supremacy of the language of colonisers at the expense of indigenous African languages; the neo-colonial elites who promote languages like English, French and Portuguese as languages that buttress their power. Getting Swahili as a national language would erase tribalistic tendencies in the country. Ignoring Swahili is being shortsighted.

BACKGROUND
ORIGIN OF KISWAHILI.

A long time ago different groups of Bantu people with different linguistic groupings settled along the East African coast along a place called Shungwaya. According to oral Traditions Shungwaya was between R. Juba in Somalia and Tana in Kenya. These different groups of Bantu were loosely united under the Shungwaya Empire and traded together, developed similar practices of belief but above all, use one common language.
As time went on, the Shungwaya Bantu increased in population but calamities also started befalling them; they were epidemics, diseases, famine, internal conflicts and most important the need for fertile land.
As a result the Shungwaya people dispersed into different directions mainly westwards and southwards; those who migrated westwards and settled around Mt Kerinyanga (Kenya) became the Wakikuyu, those who went Eastwards and settled around Taita hills near Mt Kilimanjaro became the Wataita, and those who went southwards and settled between River Tana and Galan (Arthi) became Wapokomo (Sultan and Kamal Khan 1998 p1)
Among the Bantu who migrated and settled southwards along the East African coast were the Wangozi, by then who used skins and hides. They were farmers, fishermen, traders, sailors and had advanced technology. They were the first Bantu along the East African coast to construct wooden boats without using nails or any piece of iron. They built stone houses and constructed ware houses on ages of the ocean for storing trade goods. Some other Wangozi settled in Pemba, Zanzibar, Mafia, Madagascar and Comoro islands in Indian ocean, others settled along the island of East African coast of Mombasa, Lamu, Pate, Faza, and Takwa. A small community now lives in southern Somalia.
When these Bantu dispersed and settled on the said islands and in the hinterland of East African coast, they carried with them their Bantu common language. Because they were spread over a wide area each group started developing on its own. The former common language spoken by the Shungwaya Bantu developed into many dialects of one language.
As time went on, the Bantu on the East African coast began to come into contact with foreigners from other lands and continents. The first people to visit the East African coast are believed to have been the Assyrians, Phonecians and Egyptians around 247-221 BC. They referred to the natives as the people of the coast.
Later, during the 1st century AD, the Arabs came to the East African coast purposely for trade. They also called the Bantu along the coast, who were mainly the Wangozi, Waswahili. It was a modified form of Arabic word Sahil meaning the coast and refered to the language they were speaking to Kisahili meaning the language of the coast people.
Although, Arabs had been to the East African coast especially for trade purposes centuries before, the earliest recorded Arab settlement is said to have been founded at the island of pate in 680AD (Palome 1967 p9) after settlement they intermarried with Africans. The half-castes who were produced used a mixture of the native languages with their own as their mother toungue. Centuries later, the language developed into many dialects of Ki-kilwa (lindi), Ki-nyangutwa, ki-mafia (Mafia), Ki-malaba (M-twara) and many others and finally came to be known as Kiswahili which spread over the coast and the hinterland of East Africa. Traders took it up and used it wherever they went for business and this is how it mananged to reach in Uganda.

HISTORY OF KISWAHILI IN UGANDA.
Kiswahili in Uganda started as far back as 1844, when Ahmed Bin Ibrahim arrived at the court of Kabaka Mutesa 1. Although his main purpose was trade, his subsidiary one was to spread Islam. He taught Kiswahili to his followers as well and since then many people started using it. The few who learnt it started teaching it others. It was not until 1990 when the British colonial government became interested in Kiswahili. The colonial administrators of Kenya, Tanganyika, Zanzibar and Uganda which were under the British rule thought, Uganda would be administered as one of the countries which were already using Kiswahili.

The governor of Uganda had good grounds to encourage Kiswahili because it was spoken in the country though not on a large scale. Some chiefs at the court of the Kabaka were using it. The little business which had been introduced by earlier coastal traders was being carried out in Kiswahili as well.

From 1912, Kiswahili started being taught in schools as an East African language. As part of East Africa would benefit much from the language widely spoken in the region.
Since countries in the region were likely to form a federation, the governor of Uganda sir Gowers in 1927 directed that Kiswahili should be used in offices and in schools as a medium of instruction. Where Luganda was being used especially in Buganda, Busoga and Tororo, the Governor directed that Kiswahili should replace Luganda.
The governor immediately established a teacher training school at Makerere specifically for training Kiswahili teachers. The Governor had come to realize that Kiswahili was fairly spread in the country and so encouraging a local language at the expense of East African language was not fair. He believed Kiswahili was a dominant language in the region.
The government in Uganda knew they were many local languages and all of them being encouraged at the same time would impede the development of education. Text books in these languages would be too expensive to write and purchase. Because was already used in Kenya, Tanganyika, Rwanda and Burundi, the government that the production of textbooks would be easier and inexpensive.
The colonial government believed that Uganda was composed of mainly two ethnic groups; the Bantu and Nilotics.

The language spoken by Bantu was not the same but almost similar. It was not heard for anyone from Ankole to understand Luganda or anyone from Buganda to understand Rutooro. The same went to the Nilotic people in the north. But ¾ of the population in Uganda by then and now were mainly of the Bantu origin.

The colonial government therefore thought that Kiswahili would easily catch sine it was Bantu language. Surprisingly enough, the Nilotic people from the north were the ones who kept the banner burning from 1912. It was mainly because Kiswahili was welcomed in the West Nile and northern Uganda as it solved the multiplicity of local languages for Missionaries.

Governor Gowers also had good reasons for encouraging Kiswahili. The British who came to Uganda were posted to various and continuously would be transferred from one place to another. It was rather cumbersome for them to learn a new language every time they were transferred. Moreover some good number of them where being transferred from Kenya and Tanganyika where they had picked Kiswahili. Subjecting the expatriates to many languages would be unfair. One African language could be enough for them.

As the government, Kiswahili got on its feet and was taught seriously in the whole of Uganda met resistance metered but by missionaries who owned most schools. They thought that teaching Kiswahili meant spreading Islam.
Moreover some of the missionaries who had already written textbooks in languages felt they would be losers if new Kiswahili textbooks were to be introduced in schools instead of local written ones. Otherwise, the policy got on well in schools. The mother tongue was taught in the early stages of elementary vernacular schools and followed during the final years by Kiswahili in all provinces in Uganda except Buganda.

As many Asian flocked to Uganda and opened up businesses, the language they found a lot easier to use was Kiswahili. Although generally speaking the Asians accent is not good whether one is speaking English or any other, later on Kiswahili they used it.

In 1931, the colonial administration sent some African representatives to Britain to discuss the closer union of East Africa. It included Kulubya a Muganda treasurer, Bazongere a Muganda Gomborora chief, Zirabamuzaare a Musoga and Rwabwoni a Sazza chief from Bunyoro. On being asked about the official language to be used in Uganda, they replied “English of course-the door to all knowledge”. Certainly this was a natural response to his master only the representative from Bunyoro encouraged Kiswahili to be taught in his area as a subject. If the representatives had selected Luganda, the colonial office would have accepted it as the common language for Uganda and would have probably be developed to the status of the official language. They didn’t and that was the time Luganda lost the chance of being a national language.

In 1931, Director of Education convened a meeting of Advisory Council on African Education in Uganda, all the missionary Bishops and the representatives of the Kabaka attended and it was recommended that;
In Buganda province the medium of instruction should always be Luganda. Kiswahili however would be introduced as a subject at a later date if the Baganda desired so and teachers were available.

The teacher trainees at the government teacher training school at Nyanjerade on Makerere hill was to continue teaching Kiswahili. At the K.A.R the police school and selected elementary vernacular in the mixed linguistic areas, Kiswahili was to be used. The grant-aided mission teacher training schools at Nabumaali, Ngora, Arua, should teach Kiswahili to the teachers in training.

In the mixed linguistic areas, Kiswahili was to be taught as a subject in the elementary vernacular schools as soon as teachers qualified to teach were from those teacher training schools but the local vernaculars were to remain the medium of instruction.
In the government technical school in Kampala which would cater for boys from all over the protectorate Kiswahili was to be taught.
The period between1931-1933 was probably the peak Kiswahili enjoyed status of respected and developing language. The government teacher training college at Makerere produced specifically Kiswahili teachers. In addition all teacher training schools studied Kiswahili as a subject. Kiswahili was attractive to especially students who completed primary 4 and were going to be trained as vernacular teachers. Those student teachers didn’t get a chance of learning English they felt they were compensated by learning Kiswahili. And such were feelings and sentiments of all government aided missionary teacher training schools in all areas in all areas east, north and western Uganda.
To polish up acquisition of good Kiswahili, the colonial government facilitated all those who were trained to teach Kiswahili at Makerere and other colleges. They went to the coast in Kenya for about 4 months so that they could get first hand intonation and pronunciation.

Kiswahili in Uganda has got a very painful history which haunts it even now. But the forces of its development/success is stronger than its failure. Its no wonder there for, that when conservatives in 1930 rejected Kiswahili to be taken as unifying language in a country full of minority languages and finally threw it out of the education system, it still managed to survive. Its surprising that non Africans like the directors of education and Governors in the colonial era: Hussy and Moris had a spirit of Africanism when they supported Kiswahili for closer union of East Africa but real Africans shunned the idea.

Sixty years had elapsed since the Kiswahili teacher training college at Makerere was closed. Kiswahili which had been in comma for all those years but was kept live by life support Machines in the north, and eastern regions, workers’ class and armed forces once again got on its feet in full swing. Idi Amin in 1971 seized power from Milton Obote and made numerous changes and amendments. For the first time the government introduced Kiswahili programs on radio and television.
The business community, the armed forces, workers, factories, industries and people in the north and eastern Uganda were delighted. These were the people who had kept the glimmer of Kiswahili in its dark ages. The elite group fumbled. They knew that the language that would be accepted now Kiswahili. They knew that if they had to work and co-operate with the authorities they needed to learn a word or two of the language.
From the time the forces were introduced in the country, Kiswahili was used as a medium of communication. Immediately after the capture of power by Idi Amin, there was a discussion of what would be a national language, opinion leaders and elders in all districts of Uganda were selected to discuss the issue of official and national language. Four districts namely Masaka, Mengo, and Mubende selected Luganda. Surprisingly enough though, Rukungiri district opted for Luganda. The former kingdoms of Ankole, Tooro and Bunyoro realizing that their native languages couldn’t be supported, opted for Kiswahili and the rest of the districts followed the suit.

The military government didn’t waste time any further, a law was enacted in Uganda in 1972 declaring Kiswahili the national language. It would be used side by side with English. This move would have augured well if only modalities had been put in place for making sure Kiswahili would work. No effort was made whatsoever to introduce Kiswahili in school and was only left in colleges. No efforts were were made to import textbooks for Kiswahili. Adult education for Kiswahili beginners was non existing. Therefore the issue of the national language remained on the paper, only Makerere University in the faculty of arts introduced Kiswahili for beginners. Very few students registered in year one.

In 1986, the National Resistance Army captured power (NRA) captured power and their policy on languages was clear. NRM while in the bush had written the en point program that would guide them after they had captured power. Point number 3 of the program emphasized the consolidation of national unity and elimination of all forms of sectarianism. Kiswahili in one way would be used for unity. Point number nine talked of co-operation with African countries. The African language that would certainly be used in such regional cooperation would be Kiswahili.

Consequently the National Resistance Council which was the parliament of the time empowered the country to use either Kiswahili or English as an official. Discussion in parliament and district council could be carried on in either language. More so, education review commission was set to examine education system and make recommendations to government.

In 1987, the Ssenteza Kajubi Education Commission, it made numerous suggestions in education system but above all recommended the re-introduction of Kiswahili in Ugandan schools. It was like in 1927 when Eric Hussey and Moris the directors of education and Governor Gowers were enthusiastic about the teaching of Kiswahili in Uganda.
Unfortunately no efforts since the Ssenteza Kajubi 1987 and the government white paper in 1992 were made to teach Kiswahili even on small scale.




THE DEVELOPMENT OF KISWAHILI FROM EARLY 1990’S UP TO DATE.

The NTC-Kakoba academic board in early 1990’s decided to include Kiswahili on its curriculum. The sub committee was formed to work out the modalities. The draft syllabus was discussed by institute of teacher education-Kyambogo and forwarded to Makerere University Department of Languages in Faculty of Arts for consideration. The idea was welcomed and Kakoba NTC began producing grade v teachers of Kiswahili.

This was during the time of Professor Emanuel Karoro who was the principal of the college and Mr Milton Rwabushaija who was the tutor by then. The duo had great interests and love towards the growth and development of Kiswahili in Uganda. Their idea was welcomed by many people especially head teachers and teachers in western Uganda, they would have workshops in schools for sensitizing people about the importance of Kiswahili.

In the constitution of Uganda as amended in 1995, Kiswahili was to be a national language and English being official language.
This meant that every Ugandan was to acquire Kiswahili language as a mode of communication. This however, didn’t bear fruits as expected. It rather remained on the paper. However, institutions continued teaching Kiswahili as a subject for example Makerere later on introduced Kiswahili as a subject in the Faculty of Education, Islamic University In Uganda around 1996 introduced Kiswahili as remedial and as a teaching subject to teachers in training at bachelors level and later on by 1999, it advanced to masters course in Kiswahili. Other universities like Kyambogo University, Bishop Stuart University formerly NTC-Kakoba, Kabale University, and Kabale NTC continued to produce teachers of Kiswahili up to date. And most of these institutions were and are still training teachers of Kiswahili on a double main basis or single main.
Other universities also like Kampala International University, Uganda Pentecostal University, Nkumba University, Metropolitan International University, Mountains of the Moon University, Kampala University and many others have introduced Kiswahili as a teaching subject in the faculty of education and also mainstreamed to other courses. This has called for National Unity and development by trying to erase tribalism affiliations by speaking a one common African language and that Kiswahili.

In 2013, Kiswahili was made compulsory to all Primary Teachers Colleges in Uganda. The idea behind this was to produce many teachers of Kiswahili who would teach Kiswahili right away from early primary level. Curriculum was made and books published and distributed to various schools across the country though no big follow up was made. More still, Kiswahili was mainstreamed in most business and technical institutions in Uganda as a compulsory course unit examined by UBTEB.
The chief reason of mainstreaming was to give basic skills of Kiswahili to those trainees in their different fields as a mode of communication. Regardless of some challenges, this has been a success.

In the year 2020, the new lower secondary school curriculum was introduced and Kiswahili is among the compulsory subject at senior one and two and is among the elective subjects at senior three. However there has been an outcry for the scarcity of teachers of Kiswahili in Uganda. Currently Uganda has about 3000 teachers of Kiswahili. Some of these teachers have diplomas, degrees, Masters, and PhD’s in Kiswahili language.

In February 2022, the African Union made a pronouncement of making Kiswahili an official language of the community. This claimed the status of Kiswahili in Africa and its possible developments to the whole continent.
Still towards the end of 2021, United Nations recognized Kiswahili and designated 7th of July every year as a world Kiswahili day. This recognition comes as a result of its continued development even outside Africa as a continent. The world needs it.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSAL

To create general awareness about the importance of Kiswahili to the community.

To solve the problem of multiplicity of languages through mainstreaming of Kiswahili as a language.

To foster unity and development through trading by the business community in the neighboring Kiswahili speaking nations.

To foster the integration of East African community by developing its language of communication.

Note: Looking at a developing all sectorial language in Uganda and ignoring it would be shortsightedness. Ugandans we hardly need it.