Kiswahili adopted as Uganda’s second official language

By Hamza Kyeyune,

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - The Ugandan government approved the adoption of Kiswahili as an official language Tuesday and directed it be made compulsory in primary and secondary schools.

“The Cabinet took note that Uganda has lagged behind in terms of practicing the use of Kiswahili as a national language. When you look at East African countries, Kiswahili is well-spoken and understood but in Uganda it is not the case,” Minister of Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance Chris Baryomunsi told reporters in Kampala.

The government said the decision is in line with the directive of the 21st East African Community (EAC) Summit in February 2021 that directed the expedition of the implementation of Kiswahili, English and French as official languages in the bloc.

The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), the legislative arm of EAC, also passed a resolution in 2017 to make Kiswahili the second official language of the EAC, in addition to English.

EAC, a regional intergovernmental organization of six partner states including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a population of more than 300 million in those nations, approved the use of the Kiswahili in official business of the regional bloc.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared July 7 as World Kiswahili Language Day -- the first language in Africa to have its day of celebration.