Runyoro competitions ahead of Empango celebrations

By Ismael Kasooha

Bunyoro Kitaara Kingdom has organized Runyoro competitions with the objective of rejuvenating the Runyoro language which is seen as being at stake especially among the youthful population ahead of the Empango celebrations for this year.

Addressing journalists during a press briefing in Kakumiro Town council on Wednesday, Ronald Isagara, the 3rd deputy prime minister and minister for information for Bunyoro Kingdom, said they will hold Runyoro competitions which will specifically target the participation of the youths.

“We realise our language has been on the decreasing end for quite sometime; things that strengthen the language such as proverbs and idioms were are no longer being taken serious especially by the youth,” said Isagara.

According to Isagara, the language competitions are one of the many pre-coronation ceremony activities that the Kingdom has planned to undertake in a bid to restore culture and traditional norms in its subjects.

The winners will walk away with several prizes including cash, books and other items.

Isagara expressed concern that Runyoro is steadily fading among the youth given the population influx in the region.

He said that the condition has been worsened by the discovery of oil in the Albertine graben which has led to many people of different languages infiltrating the kingdom.

“If we do not come out vividly now our language shall remain in books of history because it will be extinct soon,” said Isagara.

Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom has become a center of attraction both for business and settlement leading to many different ethnic groups migrating to the area.

Isagara is optimistic that the language competitions will greatly inspire the youth to love their language.

A society without culture and language is almost non-existent so it’s our obligation to protect and preserve our culture, said Isagara.

Bunyoro Kingdom will conduct a number of activities in preparation for the annual grand coronation celebrations slated for June 11, 2015 at Karuziika Palace Hoima Municipality, which include; cultural business, agriculture and tourism expo, cleaning of towns, and clan football competitions among others.

Isagara further unveiled that the Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru will visit several counties in the Kingdom on a drive aimed at encouraging farmers to adopt commercial agriculture to benefit in the oil sector.

The kingdom is searching for over sh900m to fund the Coronation anniversary cerebrations.

"Empango’’is one of traditional ceremonies in Bunyoro Kingdom which attracts hundreds of thousands of people from all corners of the world.