By Website Writer; It was decided earlier this month that Kiswahili, for the first time, will be an official language in Uganda like English.
This follows a cabinet decision that concluded Kiswahili language will be among the compulsory subjects in primary and secondary school levels in Uganda.
The meeting also saw scheduling of the language lessons in the high government offices like Parliament.
Today, the first Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga says Cabinet members will start taking Kiswahili lessons every Monday from 9am to 10am.
With about 200 million speakers, Kiswahili is the most commonly spoken African language, used in nearly every country in the East African Community and is one of the bloc’s official languages.
However, experts in academia and the media and officials from the government have since pointed out that a few people in Uganda use Kiswahili currently.
These assert that Uganda’s revamped efforts to make Kiswahili among its lingua francas would not be an easy ride, as a series of challenges may impede the process.
In a Twitter Space discussion organised by Nation.Africa earlier this month, the pundits said the challenges range from a long history of hatred for the language in Uganda to insufficient resources that make the learning of the language difficult.
The government of Uganda decision sparked verge in a time where the integration of East African countries is thrillingly increasing.
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