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The Government and the people of Uganda do realise that there are certain advantages in our learning English. We could not, for instance, adopt Lugbara—one of our Northern languages as our national language. It is clear that the task of teaching Lugbara itself would be beyond our capacity and ability and since language has an economic power in that whoever in a country of this kind knows the official language is likely to get higher and higher in the Government service, the task of teaching Lugbara or adopting it could result in serious riots and instability.I suggest that the same applies practically to every other language in Uganda. It is probably safe to say that Luganda and Lunyoro, are spoken by the greatest number of our people but immediately we adopt either of them as the official language for administrative purposes or legislation, some of us will have to go out of the Government. I, for instance, would not be able to speak in Parliament in Luganda, neither could I do so in Lunyoro, and I think more than half the present National Assembly members would have to quit. The areas we now represent would not like to have just any person who speaks Luganda to represent them. They would feel unrepresented. So, there again, we find no alternative to English. (it) |
