The proposal is contained in the Uganda National Kiswahili Council Bill 2023 that was tabled for first reading by the State Minister for Gender (Disability Affairs), Hon. Hellen Asamo, on February 28, 2024.
Makerere University has revealed plans to start teaching students with interest in pursuing PhD in Kiswahili in 2025.
The revelation was made by Dr Boaz Mutungi, a lecturer at the Department of African Languages (Kiswahili) while appearing before Parliament's Committee of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
Mutungi and other officials from the university had appeared before the committee to give their views on the proposed Uganda National Kiswahili Council Bill 2023.
In his remarks, Mutungi said the university has been teaching Kiswahili for many years, adding that it was time they expanded the teaching of the language to doctoral level.
"Like other Universities, we have been teaching Kiswahili, Makerere University started as early as 1930s, under the former East African Community as a research institution and then later on, there was a break, but then again started teaching Kiswahili again in the 90s," Mutungi said.
He added, "And since then, it has been taught all through and we teach at Undergraduate, and graduate levels and I think in the next academic year, we shall begin teaching PhDs in Kiswahili because we have now over sic PhDs, and the two that are remaining are also completing," said Mutungi.
Meanwhile, the university welcomed the enactment of the Uganda National Kiswahili Council Bill 2023.
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In February this year, government proposed the establishment of a Kiswahili Council as a government agency that would promote the usage of the Kiswahili language in Uganda.
The proposal is contained in the Uganda National Kiswahili Council Bill 2023 that was tabled for first reading by the State Minister for Gender (Disability Affairs), Hon. Hellen Asamo, on February 28, 2024.
The Bill seeks to operationalise the Article 6 (2) of the Constitution and the Protocol on the establishment the East African Kiswahili Commission.
The Council proposed by the Bill will also coordinate the usage of Kiswahili language in administrative, judicial and legislative process as a medium of communication by local governments.
The language will also be promoted at all level of society including as a medium of instruction in the country's educational institutions.
However, the officials from Makerere University rejected the proposal in clause 6(1) seeking to limit membership to the Council to only Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF).
Instead, the officials proposed to have the membership prescribed to Uganda Armed Forces, in order to open opportunity for other forces like Uganda Police Forces to get into the Council at a given time.
They also called for the addition of religious leaders on the council, saying that most of the schools in Uganda bear a religious background, hence this would enhance adoption of the Kiswahili language in the country.
"Add one representative from faith based organisations e.g through the Interreligious Council of Uganda. Faith based organisations are key in our education systems since they are main foundation bodies of most education institutions," Mutungi said.
