Makerere University has revealed plans to start teaching students with interest in pursuing PhDs in Kiswahili by the start of 2025/2026 academic year.
The revelation was made by Dr. Boaz Mutungi, Lecturer, Department of African Languages (Kiswahili) at Makerere University, while appearing before Parliament’s Committee of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
The university officials had appeared before the committee to present their views on the proposed Uganda National Kiswahili Council Bill 2023.
” I think in the next academic year, we shall begin teaching PhDs in Kiswahili because we have now over six PhDs, and the two that are remaining are also completing,” Boaz said.
Boaz said Makerere has been teaching Kiswahili from early 1930s and it is presently taught at both undergraduate and graduate level.
“Like other Universities, we have been teaching Kiswahili, Makerere University started as early as 1930s, under the former East African Community as a research institution and then later on, there was a break, but then again started teaching Kiswahili again in the 90s. And since then, it has been taught all through and we teach at Undergraduate, and graduate levels,” he said.
The delegation also called for the inclusion of religious leaders on the Uganda National Kiswahili Council arguing that most of the schools in Uganda bear a religious background, which will play a critical role in the adoption of the use of Kiswahili in Uganda.
“Add one representative from faith based organisations e.g through the Interreligious Council of Uganda. Faith based organisations are key in our education systems since they are main foundation bodies of most education institutions,” Boaz said.
In 2022, Uganda approved the adoption of Kiswahili as an official language and directed that it is made a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools.
The government had set up the Uganda National Kiswahili Council in 2019 to guide the introduction of Kiswahili as the second national (official) language.
The decision was in line with the directive of the 21st East African Community (EAC) Summit held in February 2021 that directed the expedition of the implementation of Kiswahili, English and French as official languages in the bloc.
