Ugandan presidential candidate Mubarak Munyagwa has raised eyebrows with a marketing campaign promise to scrap Swahili as a nationwide language and make French official alongside English.
Munyagwa, the chief of the Widespread Man’s Get together (CMP), argued that the French language gives larger regional worth.
Munyagwa’s daring pledge: Ditch Swahili, embrace French
Talking at a marketing campaign occasion, Munyagwa famous that a lot of Uganda’s neighbours use French as a major language.
These neighbours embrace Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and the Central African Republic.
“We will ban Swahili as our nationwide language, we will ban it. We want French as a substitute. French has a wider protection… We don’t want Swahili; we’d like English and French,” he declared.
Swahili’s official function in East Africa
In keeping with Day by day Nation, Uganda formally adopted Swahili as its second nationwide language in 2022, alongside English.
The Ugandan authorities officers emphasised its significance in regional integration throughout the East African Group (EAC).
The Swahili is broadly used throughout East Africa, together with Kenya, Tanzania, and elements of Uganda.
Uganda Common Elections
Uganda is about to carry its common elections on 12 January 2026.
After receiving his presidential nomination, Munyagwa pledged to revive the rule of regulation. Munyagwa is becoming a member of the presidential race, anticipated to be a rematch between President Yoweri Museveni, who has dominated since 1986, and Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), a former pop star and opposition chief.
