Today (Sunday), every year, the world commemorates International Mother Language Day to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity. It was pioneered by UNESCO in 1999 and formally recognized by the UN General Assembly in 2002.


Mother languages are not just a communication tool, they are also buttresses the development of a personality, socialization, culture, and identity. Hilary Bainemigisha scanned through our archives for a story about Runyankore-Rukiga, whose icons have died. The story wonders if this is the evening of a language that is spoken by 5 million people.

You can't believe it! Runyankore-Rukiga is on its deathbed! The Bantu language, spoken by 5 million people mostly found in South Western Uganda, is losing its flesh and getting emaciated to the bone.

Today, even rural people in the 12 districts of Ankole and Kigezi speak Runyankore with a declining vocabulary, grammar, rhythm, and rhyme. The metaphors, similies, allusions, nuances of meaning, and the implied feeling that characterized Runyankore-Rukiga are lost to many people. The art and literary tradition, storytelling and dialogue techniques, have given way for ‘is-was’, borrowing elements of English and Luganda in written and spoken; replacing all, or portions of, the original language.

The culprit Ankole districts are Buhweju, Bushenyi, Ibanda, Isingiro, and Kiruhura. Others are Mbarara, Mitooma, Ntungamo, Rubirizi, and Sheema. Kigezi districts are Kabale, Kanungu, and Rukungiri.

The region hosts many university graduates, who tend to be opinion leaders. And these can hardly construct a full sentence in Runyankore or Rukiga, without adding an English or Luganda word. They cannot address a full community gathering or meeting in Runyankole alone. They cannot name just 10 shrubs, trees, birds, insects in Runyankore or say 20 proverbs!

UNESCO worried

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a language becomes endangered when it is at risk of falling out of use, generally because it has few surviving speakers. If it stops being spoken at all, it becomes an extinct language.

UNESCO championed International Mother Language Day to protect indigenous linguistic and cultural diversity. It says many of the over 6,000 languages spoken in the world today are at risk of becoming extinct and forgotten.

In Uganda, it lists the Amba language as vulnerable, Ik language as severely endangered and Soo language as critically endangered. It mentions 3 languages; Napore, Nyag’i and Singa, as extinct. UNESCO, however, says the problem is worse in Kenya, which has the highest number of extinct languages in east Africa and attributes it to the Swahili conquest.

In its estimate published in 2004, UNESCO says some 90% of the currently spoken languages will have become extinct by 2050. And that, if language decline continues unabated, half of the world’s languages could be wiped off the map by the end of this century.

Will this include Runyankore-Rukiga?

Runyankore-Rukiga may not be on the UNESCO list of endangered languages, but a gradual process of its demise has begun. In fact, considering Runyankore-Rukiga safe just because there are still thousands of speakers, is one of the reasons why its bedridden status is going unnoticed. Nobody is scared, yet these two languages have become confined to villages and fewer people.

Even then, the languages’ complex grammar, vocabulary, idioms, proverbs, similes, and connotations are long lost to many speakers. The new generation does not have any motivation to learn or to be proficient in it.

Why worry now?

It is Dr Salikoko Mufwene of the University of Chicago who said: We cannot comfortably celebrate independence when tribes are succumbing to cultural assimilation leading to language shift in preference to European dialects.

Uganda is a multilingual country with about 43 languages. 41 of these fall into three main families; Bantu, Nilotic, and Central Sudanic. The other 2, English and Swahili, are foreign but dominant; English in the South and Swahili in the North.

English was introduced by way of missionary work and the educational system and became the official language. Swahili too gained influence but, for the Western part, remained in the army and the police. The colonial system spread Luganda too and, having become a language of commerce, it is spread in urban centres and, in the West, pockets of Muslim settlements.

According to a Makerere University 2016 national study of English literacy, districts in Western Uganda are also the most fluent in English, especially in the urban centres. This, together with economic and cultural globalization and development, has put Runyankore-Rukiga to the sword. Many people in these areas find it easier to communicate and conduct business in English, Luganda, and Swahili.

While Swahili cannot be blamed for the fading of Runyankore, it will become a factor when Government plans to make it a national language rolls off.

Today, affluent parents take their children to boarding schools where they are required to speak only English. Many Bakiga and Banyankore have migrated to other areas, where their children attend school and learn new languages. Urbanization, formal education, adaptation of new lingo styles of speaking, and media such as the Internet, television, and newspapers, have popularized English at the expense of Runyankore-Rukiga.

But, perhaps, the most scaring factor is the dying out of the proficient elderly, who knew the language very well. If many of the current adults, 30-50, do not know the language well, what will happen to their children, who speak better English than Runyankore-Rukiga? How about their grandchildren?

Warriors pass on

The region’s language advocates and icons, Benedicto Mubangizi and Omugurusi Festo Karwemera passed on recently. Karwemera was Kigezi’s great Rukiga consultant and books author. He was also a historian, administrator and remarkable teacher. He died on September 30th 2020 at the age of 95.

Twenty five years earlier, Mubangizi, Ankore’s language icon, author and composer of many Runyankore books and songs, famous musician and poet, as well as researcher, linguist and promoter of culture, died on June 22, 1995 at the age of 69.

In Mubangizi and Karwemera, Ankore and Kigezi lost warriors for their languages. And, sadly, there is no serious replacement. However, Sabastian Katungwensi, a retired District Education Officer, Mitooma District, dismisses the worry.

“Other talented writers will come up,” said Katungwensi, a Runyankore-Rukiga poet. “All we need is to incentivize Runyankore-Rukiga literature.”

Karwemera’s contribution

Karwemera was dedicated to promoting and conserving the language and culture of Banyakigezi. His book, Emicwe n’emigyenzo y’Abakiga says it all. He was a teacher and consultant in translating English literature into Rukiga.

He used to introduce himself: “I am a Mukiga of the Ba-Karobwa clan in the sub-clan of Abarihira. My totem is ente ngoobe, which the Ba-Karobwa don’t associate with nor touch. Our animal friend is the Chameleon, Rukootooka, enyama etariibwa (Slow mover, whose meat no one eats).”

Karwemera was able to line up his ancestors up to the 14th generation. He said his father was Karagare Kabure-Nkeecwere, his grandfather, Buzaire, and great grandfather Rukata. Rukata was the son of Kagaaza, who was the son of Kahiigwa, whose father was Macumu. Macumu was the son of Nyarubya, son of Sinzi, son of Bigaragara, son of Kahororo, son of Nyeibuza, son of Karihira, son of Muntu, whose father was Rugaba.

He taught in several Native Anglican Church-founded schools, served as an Inspector of schools for Kabale District before becoming Headteacher of Hornby High School from 1964-1965.

In 1966, he became head, Save the Children Fund in Kigezi and, 4 years later, head of government’s National Trading Corporation in Kigezi. He headed several committees of the Church of Uganda and Education institutions before he retired to concentrate on authoring books in Runyankore/Rukiga.

Mubangizi’s contribution

Mubangizi also trained as a teacher but gained a lot more by self-training and research. He thus became well established in music; its reading, writing and instruments, linguistics, sociology, history, and literature. He started the Music and Literature (MUSILIT) centre in which he dispensed this knowledge.

Mubangizi worked as an adjudicator of performances at the national level, president of Ankole Schools Music Association, and a member of Omuhanda Gw’okumanya (Path of Knowledge), a book publishing association of Mbarara Diocese. He was on the vernacular subject panel, Makerere University, Runyankore-Rukiga Language and Literature Committee, Ankole District Music Advisory Committee, and Language Commission, Mbarara Diocese.

When the Vatican II synod allowed native music in worship, he authored almost all Catholic church songs in Runyankore for use in worship. His church Music, written in staff notations, is still popular to date.

He published many books including traditional customs of the Banyankore, novels, poetry, song, and proverbs. By the time he died, many of his manuscripts were still unpublished.

What should be done?

One of the renown authors, Alphonse Mary Butamanya, said there is no need for worry. God will provide other talented writers who will steer the language, he said.

“It is true that a language can die because culture is not static,” said Butamanya who wrote many books including Oburungi Bw’eka and Eishomero Rya Rukundo. “But we all breastfed our languages from our mothers’ breasts. When people realise that their languages are threatened, the self-preservation instinct will arise.”

Butamanya appeals to Government to include Runyakitara in the primary schools syllabus.

“Baganda are better because their children are taught their local language in homes and right from lower classes. Luganda is examinable at different levels of education. But here, some educated families can’t speak their local language in their homes! Others punish their children for speaking Runyankore!” He said.

Sitaliko Tibanyendera, Secretary for Runyankore-Rukiga Language Board, which was instituted by the Catholic diocese of Mbarara to explore and encourage talented and interested writers, supports the idea but rues lack of teachers.

“Good Runyankore teachers are not easy to find and others have lost interest. Schools fill the gap with half-baked and incompetent replacements. But I wish it was taught and examinable at primary school level. It would be a basis of helping children to grow knowing and loving their mother language,” he said.

The 17 member Runyankore-Rukiga Language Board is chaired by Fr. Boniface Zabajungu, assisted by Dr. Celestine Orikiriza, with such members as Prof. Manuel Muranga of Kabale University and Dr. Gilbert Gumoshabe of Makerere University.

Katungwensi regrets the lack of advantages with speaking native languages. People, instead, pride in speaking English and, in rural areas, even Luganda is seen as impressive.

“People think you don’t need Runyankore and Rukiga to make money. The emerging middle-class parents even forbid their children from learning their mother tongues. There is an inscrutable hatred for the native languages among the elite class. Already, kids cannot speak to their grannies,” he said.

Vincent Bekunda Sipaaka, of Ntungamo district attributed it to the lack of a custodian for the language. He said, unlike Buganda where the Kabakaship is playing custodian for the Luganda culture, lack of the Obugabe in Ankore and Kigezi has a lot to do with it.

“We have no custodian of the language except radios and TV, which employ people because they have degrees or they are popular musicians and artistes. These don’t know the language!

Newspapers like Ageeteereine and Orumuri, which would have filled the void, collapsed,” Bekunda, an author of Runyankore books under the pen name of Capt. Zinkuratiire, observed.

Bekunda has authored two books; Egi Ti Nsi Kuguma and Orutahwaire Ruhemura Emanzi.

He challenged Banyankore to stop criticizing upcoming Runyankore artistes and writers.

“We should instead support them to save the language. I encourage young people with fresh brains and talents to come out and save Runyankore-Rukiga instead of sitting back and discussing how their language is dying. There won’t be culture without our language!”

He however expressed hope that Runyankore-Rukiga will prevail over all these challenges.

“Language lovers are many and, together, when mobilized, we can do the needful to preserve and promote it. We need to tell off educated people that speaking their languages is not a backward sign. Runyankore is still relevant even in this era of dot com and it is not a language of villagers. Let us not spend a lot of time learning foreign languages at the expense of our native language,” Bekunda appealed.

Erieza Bamuhangaine from Mitooma district expressed worry that Banyankore are not like other tribes who regard and respect their language and culture highly. He gave Baganda as an example.

“I like reading Runyankore-Rukiga books and I would wish to see a variety of published books for Banyankore consumption. It is unfortunate that our language is no longer given priority in the education system. It is not on the Primary schools syllabus to enable children to learn and grow knowing their native language!” Bamuhangaine said.

Way forward

Linguists estimate that one language dies every 2 weeks, with 50-90% of languages vulnerable to extinction. UNESCO raised urgent awareness about the loss of indigenous languages at the end of 2019, but what is needed is language revival and a dedicated team of language speakers.

Prof Herman Batibo of African Linguistics, University of Botswana, says Africa should no longer blame it on any foreign influence or force. The author of Language Decline and Death in Africa suggested that governments consider an intervention, even if it means elevating the languages to official status.

Losing a language has a detrimental loss of community identity, collective purpose, and self-determination. Keeping languages makes the world richer, more diverse, and harmonious as well as allowing us to gain an understanding that may not exist without their unique words.