Kiswahili now compulsory in Uganda

Kiswahili is now an official language in Uganda.

The Ugandan Cabinet on Tuesday, July 5, adopted Kiswahili as an official language. The government immediately directed that the language, widely spoken in East Africa, be made compulsory in primary and secondary schools.

“Cabinet recommended that the teaching of Kiswahili language in primary and secondary should be made compulsory and examinable. It was also further agreed that training programmes for Parliament, Cabinet and the media be initiated,” a statement by the Ugandan Cabinet read in parts.

In 2019, the government of Uganda National Kiswahili Council came up with guiding principles for the introduction of Kiswahili as the second national (official). English is the official language in Uganda though Luganda is used as a ‘business’ language.

The move by Uganda is part of the East African Community (EAC) to expedite the vision of having three official languages – Kiswahili, English and French, in the bloc.

An EAC Summit held in February 2021 had directed for expedition of the implementation.

Currently Kiswahili is used as an official language in Kenya and Tanzania though it is also spoken in other EAC member countries like South Sudan, DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.

Kiswahili was adopted as the official language of EACH in 2017.

Part of this article was originally posted on the East African.