Uganda Arts News: Minister urges parents to promote African languages

The State Minister for Gender, Isanga Nakadama has advised parents to stop forcing their kids to speak English at home.

The Minister who was on Wednesday presiding over the World Cultural Day in Kampala, says for African cultures to survive, native languages must be protected especially at the family level.

She says there are families where kids are beaten because they speak native languages. Nakadama says this is an unfortunate situation that will kill African languages.

Nakadama says government is planning to introduce teaching of vernaculars from primary to Secondary level in order to help maintain local languages in every locality.

The Minister of Relief and Disaster Preparedness, Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere wants the Institute of Languages at Makerere University, Ugandas leading public University to work with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to design a national language policy.

Kabwegyere says the policy should be written in all native languages of Uganda.