Makerere University has officially launched the teaching of Lusoga, further expanding the range of indigenous languages offered at the institution.
The announcement was made during celebrations to mark International Mother Language Day, held under the theme: “Harnessing Technology to Document and Develop Uganda’s Indigenous Languages.”
Admission Requirements
According to Ms. Rebecca Masabe, a lecturer who will teach Lusoga at the university, students seeking to pursue the language must have studied Lusoga at both Ordinary and Advanced Levels.
“One must have offered Lusoga at O- and A-Level before applying for a Bachelor of Arts degree, where he or she then chooses Lusoga among the language options,” she explained.
The introduction of Lusoga adds to a growing list of indigenous languages taught at Makerere. Luganda was launched in 1976, followed by Lunyakitara and Luo in the 1990s. Kiswahili and Ateso are also offered at the institution.
Kyabazinga Calls for Embracing Indigenous Languages
The Chief Guest, the Kyabazinga of Busoga, William Gabula Nadiope IV, urged universities across the country to embrace the teaching of indigenous languages, emphasizing their role in research, cultural preservation, and identity.
“The digital divide threatens the survival of our smaller languages, and we must not allow them to fade into extinction,” he said. “We must embrace technology as a tool to document, teach, and promote our mother languages through digital archives, online dictionaries, literature, mobile apps, and e-learning platforms.”
He noted that offering indigenous languages at university level expands opportunities for research and empowers new generations of linguists, educators, writers, and cultural ambassadors.
Technology as a Preservation Tool
Makerere’s Vice Chancellor, Barnabas Nawangwe, revealed that the university is supporting the development of technological tools aimed at easing translation of academic material into local languages.
“We have people who have invented apps where you can speak in English and your speech is transcribed in a local language. That is going to be a revolution, especially in the teaching of science,” he said, noting that most scientific texts are currently in English.
Also speaking at the event, Aggrey Kibenge, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, called for the digitization of indigenous languages to prevent their marginalization in the modern knowledge economy.
“If our indigenous languages are absent from digital platforms, they risk marginalization. We must digitize dictionaries, folklore, and oral histories, develop language learning applications, and integrate indigenous languages into artificial intelligence systems,” he said.
The launch marks a significant step in promoting cultural heritage and expanding academic study of Uganda’s diverse linguistic landscape, positioning technology as a key driver in preserving and advancing indigenous languages for future generations.
