By Shakirah Kukundakwe
KAMPALA — The government has launched Swahili Day, marking the beginning of a renewed campaign to promote Kiswahili as Uganda's second national language and expand its use across the media, public institutions and everyday communication.
The launch took place on Tuesday at the Uganda Media Centre, where government officials said the initiative is intended to strengthen national cohesion and deepen Uganda's integration within the East African Community (EAC).
Speaking at the event, Uganda Media Centre Executive Director Alan Kasujja spoke of the importance of language in fostering regional cooperation and cross-border engagement.
“You can't exist in the neighbourhood if you can't speak their language,” Kasujja said.
Officials noted that although Kiswahili has been taught in schools for many years, its presence in mainstream media remains limited.
The new initiative seeks to encourage media organisations to adopt Kiswahili more widely in news broadcasts, publications and digital platforms.
Kiswahili media promoter Monday Akol Amazima urged media houses to make the language a regular feature of their programming and editorial content.
He also announced plans to introduce specialised Kiswahili training for journalists to improve proficiency and build capacity within newsrooms.
The launch follows Monday's Cabinet meeting chaired by President Museveni, during which ministers endorsed measures to promote Kiswahili nationwide.
Cabinet also approved the launch, scheduled for Friday, of the Sauti Ya Uganda national competition, which aims to develop an official Kiswahili version of the Uganda National Anthem.
Government officials said the initiatives are intended to strengthen Uganda's participation in the East African Community by making communication more accessible to millions of Kiswahili speakers across the region.
They also encouraged media organisations and journalists to take advantage of the planned training programmes as the country moves to mainstream the language in public communication.
