Aloys Kalokola
2 April 2008
opinion
Kampala — THE article titled, 'Kiswahili not Luganda should be promoted', which appeared in The New Vision of March 24, was spot on. Kiswahili is spoken by more than 120 million people. It is taught in many universities around the world. Iran, China, Pakistan, Japan, South Africa and Libya run Kiswahili programmes in their broadcast services.
Kiswahili began spreading to the hinterland through trade. It enriched itself with more Bantu words through this interaction. As with any other language, Kiswahili borrowed words from other non-Bantu communities that interacted through trading. These include the Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, British and French. This process still continues in all languages as we embrace new technological and social development. Any language must grow and develop, or die.
Kiswahili was spoken in the kingdoms of Bunyoro and Buganda long before the first Europeans reached Uganda in 1862. Kiswahili was also being used in traditional and religious functions in many parts of Uganda.
In 1952, the headquarters of the East African Kiswahili Council were established at Makerere University before permanently shifting to Dar es Salaam.
But why did Kiswahili not take root in Uganda as it did in Kenya and Tanzania yet the three countries spent 40 years under the same colonial master?
The colonial notion that Kiswahili was an Islamic language made it an enemy of Christianity. In a country that was rapidly developing as predominantly Christian, resistance to Kiswahili was inevitable. Secondly, Kabaka Daudi Chwa and the Anglican bishops opposed the development of Kiswahili in favour of Luganda as the language for the entire Uganda. The kingdoms further undermined Kiswahili when they resolved that the only official language to be used in East Africa was English.
Thirdly, the medium of instruction at all levels of education in Uganda was English and Luganda. Luganda was being examined at the Cambridge School Certificate level, as one of the recognised languages in the Commonwealth. Kiswahili was used in academics in a few areas such as West Nile, the East (except Busoga) and the North. Thus, Bunyoro, Tooro, Nkore and Buganda missed Kiswahili education.
Kiswahili was regarded as a language of the uncivilised; of slaves, especially because it was used by soldiers and Police who mistreated civilians. The oppressed people cursed the language along with the soldiers.
Kiswahili must be developed as a driving force for our country's unity and development.
The writer is an instructor at the National Leadership Institute, Kyankwanzi
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