HERBERT OKELLO & RAYMOND LUKWAGO
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion. Just like Andrew Mwenda’s coupled with his convoluted ideologies, laced with a little bit of lies to tie up on the loose ends are now widely hated, Andrew continuous stands on his feet, grips to his pen and continues to indite his perception and interpretation of events, that Timothy Kalyegira, we commend you for the courage.
This Sunday the 14th, in the Sunday Monitor an article, “Why I’m fed up with Luganda” by Timothy was trending on social media, why? It’s one article where Timothy expressed in a rather acrimonious tone, his detestation of Luganda – undoubtedly the most spoken local language in Uganda. He demonised the language associating it to the vile of society – conmen, rogues, pickpockets, office gossip queens – the rude and materialistic. In short the language is the voice of dishonesty, the manifestation of idleness and the echo of materialism. He delves into the spiritual realms, bridges and tunnels trying to forge a link between a language and morality all interconnected to the ruling party, NRM.
That article though holds some truth is quite misleading, immensely flawed with regard to the claims he raises and a total sham. Why did a national news print waste such valuable space on such hogwash and not on other developmental societal upbringing issues? Timothy is a disgruntled journalist who for the last thirty years has tried to confront the current government like his counterparts, Musomoke, Tonny Owana ansd Micheal Kigozi did but lacks the manly will to do so. He continuously cowardly, hides beneath the paper leaflets of the newspaper pages he writes for, burying all his political sentiments in not only this but all his articles, using such proxies.
Timothy agrees that the Baganda are the largest tribal group – conveniently located in central Uganda where the capital sits. It’s only natural that dominant tribe takes the day. Most people will agree that Luganda words easily slide off the tongue and are easy to learn – explaining why no human has ever been flogged with canes, stripped or tortured for rejecting this lingua franca. Unlike for the case of Tanzania where Julius Nyerere forced all natives to drop all native languages for Swahili, a foreign language too and English. Has it become that bad that we should deny our heritage? What other manifestation of neocolonialism is vivid than the attachment of cult-like status to English at the expense of our language? Why shouldn’t I speak Luganda as long as I am not slandering anyone?
Does Timothy detect an aura of oppression in the air when Sitya Loss plays, does he feel offended by Chameleone’s Bwerele? Does he cringe in pain? Do the words remind him of some prized possession he lost to “possibly a Luganda speaking thief?”
Timothy must have shelved his objective side and instead embraced long forgotten stereotyping and the often misleading tool employed by young journalists – generalization. It’s rather irrational to think low of one and judge the same because they spoke Luganda within the walls of a supermarket or inside their office corridors. I reckon he suspects the existence of forged academic documents within the office ranks; how myopic that is.
Timothy we respect you as the “been there and done a lot type” journalist but please don’t misuse your past glory and grown audience to spread such mischievous propaganda. A thief is a thief. Their tribe or language doesn’t matter. Uganda doesn’t need this type of cheap analysis at such a time of need. Maybe Timothy its time you considered retirement as one of your short term goals these next few months because your creativity, eye for detail and analysis are dwindling away day after day.
“Kiiso kyambuzi kirekerera omussi nnekitunuulira omubaazi” literally translated as the goat’s eye that instead of blaming the person who killed the animal but put the blame on the one who skins it. I thought during OPM scandal, all masterminds behind and documents prints used to swindle billions of shillings were written in the Queen’s language. I didn’t know John Kashaka of the LC1 bicycles “fame ” was an ardent speaker of Luganda. So Timothy why hate Luganda instead of the people who misuse it?
Lastly as we gear up for the East African Integration many have opted for Swihili as the lingua franca but why the rush, why the need for a common language if we are already experts at stealing each other in this multi-cultural nation. People should really think twice about this common language “thing.” I know many elites are going to try pouncing hard down on us with maimed answers of trade but ask; how has the European Union done it? I don’t see Europeans jostling to make the Germans adopt English nor the Ukraine being pestered to speak French or English. Why should we cling to languages that remind us of the saddening creaks of slavery and colonialism? Why can’t we be independent?
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