Luganda Vs Kiswahili; make your national language choice By Bamuturaki Musinguzi
Dec 26 - Jan 2, 2004 As Parliament starts debating the White Paper, one other proposal, beyond the one on presidential term limits, is likely to excite much debate and emotion. It’s the proposal on national language. Although the authorities appear determined to adopt Swahili, which would put Uganda in line with key neighbours Kenya and Tanzania, the issue of a national language remains a sticking point. The question of “official” and “national” language started during British colonial rule and 42 years of independence have not resolved it. The debate has mainly featured Swahili and Luganda, or put differently, Swahili versus Luganda. Failure to settle for one or the other has given English an upper hand. On several occasions attempts have been made to forge a common language, which would serve as a national language, only to be sacrificed at the altar of political expediency. Dr Ruth Mukama, a linguist at Makerere University, attributes it to tribalism and linguistic prejudice. “We may now ask ourselves whether, in fact, there is any likelihood that any one language will ever rise to be truly the national language of Uganda,” Mukama writes in her paper, Uganda’s Quest for a National Language. Some history Some language analysts have listed factors that favour the adoption of Swahili for a national. Swahili was first introduced into Uganda as the language of religion and trade in the second half of the 19th century. Later on it featured prominently as the lingua franca (common language) among the multi-racial builders of the Kenya-Uganda railway. In the period 1900 to 1912 Swahili was the official local language. Until 1952, it was one of the recognised vernaculars in Ugandan schools and was the official language of the armed forces. The colonialists found Swahili a well-established language in the different kingdoms and chiefdoms in East Africa in terms of trade and communication. By 1879 even prayers were conducted in Swahili. However, the British colonisers depended greatly on Baganda agents to administer other parts of the country leading to the imposition of Luganda on the then Eastern Province and Ankole. When Bishop Tucker arrived on the scene in 1891, he ordered the translation of the Bible into Luganda. Luganda had powerful protagonists in the Christian Missionary Society (CMS) mission and that is how it came to be the first indigenous language to be written both for literacy and religious purposes. And when it came to the need to link the political and ecclesiastical arenas in the country the CMS mission was solidly in support of Luganda as the language that would be appropriate for the unification of the country. “The CMS mission considered the employment of a single language to be the best method of unifying the Church and integrating the various parts of the protectorate. And its longer-term aim was to promote Luganda as the primary language of the protectorate,” H.B. Hansen writes in Mission, Church and State in a Colonial Setting: Uganda 1890-1925. The mission exerted maximum efforts to promote Luganda and succeeded in having it replace Swahili as the official language of the protectorate from 1912 to around 1924. Hansen argues that the rise of anti-Luganda feelings in the western kingdoms and in the Northern Province, which led to significant concessions being made to recognise other indigenous languages, prevented the proponents of Luganda from realising their goal. The result was that the mission was split into two contending groups: those opposed to making any concessions to sub-nationalist demands as that “would mean the virtual abandonment of the policy of making Luganda the primary language in the protectorate”; and the others who realised that “the strong feelings against Buganda dominance” could not be disregarded and “that a policy of integration based on Ganda hegemony was no longer tenable.” Writes Hansen: “Neither side could win its case under the prevailing circumstances, in the longer term; however, English was available as a possible way out of the stalemate.” In any event, the Bible was translated into other local languages, starting with Runyoro and the languages were also used as “the medium of instruction”. The widespread preference for individual vernaculars, combined with opposition to the spread of Ganda influence through Luganda, was one of the major contributing factors to the failure of making Luganda a universal language of the Protectorate. According to Hansen, the persisting Swahili/Luganda controversy has been a hindrance to Luganda gaining the status of universal language. While the mission was torn between Luganda and the various vernaculars, it was largely united in opposition to Swahili. “Although it was ousted from the official status in 1912, [Swahili] had already imprinted its mark in the country and loaned to the indigenous languages a big assortment of vocabulary,” Mukama notes. During the 1950s, Swahili was officially accorded the status of “inter-territorial language” for Uganda, Tanganyika, Zanzibar and Kenya. Makerere University was made the main centre for the development of Swahili, with a research centre established there for this purpose. The options The Survey of Language Use in Uganda (1968-1970) conducted by Ladefoged and others identified three potential national languages in Uganda: English, Luganda and Swahili. The Survey came up with the finding that amongst the languages, which are essentially spoken as second languages, “Swahili is spoken by a far higher percentage” – 35 percent compared to 21 percent for English. This rate of English acquisition may not have improved even after the start of the Universal Primary Education programme, if the majority continue to leave school at the primary level. Many primary school leavers are unable to hold a reasonable conversation in English and even those who can lose it soon after leaving school for lack of regular use. There is also the issue of the relationship between English and our cultures, says Mukama. English fails to express all aspects of our ways of life and other cultural nuances. Because of this cultural shortcoming, rural people would find it very difficult to learn English. And that is the reason why English does not feature in literacy education especially functional literacy. The Language Survey put the percentage of Ugandans who are able to hold a conversation in Luganda at 39 percent of which 16 percent are native speakers of the language, meaning that 23 percent of the population speak Luganda as a second language. Mukama, however, observes that although 39 percent of the population speak or are partial to Luganda, they are concentrated in a smaller area. And in any case it has a long way to go to produce scientific/technological and other sophisticated material. Further, the choice of Luganda, or any other one indigenous language, would lead to the emergence of an elite based primarily upon the chosen language hence creating resentment from the rest. In 1973, a national language debate was initiated by then President Idi Amin and held at the International Conference Centre. Amin opened the debate by proposing the adoption of Luganda for a national language. Eight districts voted in favour of Luganda while 12 districts voted against. On August 7, 1973, basing on the recommendation of the conference, Amin declared Swahili the national language by decree but did absolutely nothing toward enforcing it. Neither have the successive governments although the decree has never been repealed. Situation today In its analysis and recommendations, the Uganda Constitutional Commission, commonly called the Odoki Commission, of more than 10 years ago, noted that Ugandans have not been satisfied with the nation-building process since independence. Ugandans cited the lack of a national language as one of the factors holding back national development and unity. The languages suggested were – well, the usual suspects of Luganda, Swahili, English – and a combination of select others. Those favouring Luganda said it is spoken or understood by the greater majority of Ugandans, has a well-established grammar and a written literature. It is a language indigenous to Uganda with personnel and literature available to facilitate its easy teaching. Views against Luganda were that it is too closely identified with the Baganda, something that would probably spark off controversies.Those for Swahili argued that it is not identified with any particular nationality to provoke negative feelings toward it. It is also widely spoken throughout east African region and can promote regional unity to which Uganda aspires. The views against were that it is not widely spoken as it is made out to be, and that to teach it here would be too costly given that teachers would have to be hired from neighbouring countries. In addition, it is viewed poorly as the language that has been used in Uganda by violators of human rights. Generally, the people recognised that English, “though alien and colonial, has come to stay.” The Commission noted that while English should be the official language, efforts should be made to promote Ugandan languages with a view to allowing one of them to evolve into a national language. During the Constituent Assembly (CA), Select Committee Four that handled the issue of the national language proposed the adoption of Swahili. But the motion to adopt Swahili did not get the required two-thirds majority. So the whole thing died there. Government’s views on the language policy are embedded in the Education White Paper, 1992. According to the government, Swahili has a strong local and regional cultural base cutting across the East African region. Its strengthening as Uganda’s main language will promote rapid and solid regional co-operation and lead the country to development. According to the Constitution, the official language of Uganda is English. But it provides for any other language to be used as a medium of instruction in schools or other educational institutions or for legislative, administrative or judicial purposes as may be ordered by law. Even then, official/national language issue was among the terms of reference for submission of memoranda to the recent Constitutional Review Commission led by Prof. Frederick Ssempebwa. The Ssempebwa Commission recommended that Swahili should be considered for intensive teaching and popularising so that it can be the language for regional interaction. The Commission further recommended that French should be promoted as another language, which Ugandans can use internationally. “Government agrees with the recommendation and is of the view that Swahili should be accepted as a second official language to English and that this should be reflected in article 6 of the Constitution,” the Government White Paper to Parliament reads. The MPs will pick up the debate from there. © 2004 The Monitor Publications _______________________________________________ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
