Acceso usuarios
Saudah Namyalo, Judith Nakayiza
Even after decades of uttering platitudes about the languages of Uganda, language policy pronouncements have invariably turned out to be public relations statements rather than blueprints for action. A serious setback for the right to linguistic equality and the right to use Uganda's indigenous languages has largely hinged on the language policies, which the government has not fully implemented under the guise of language diversity in Uganda. Against this backdrop, this paper explores three research questions: (i) What is the current language situation in Uganda?, (ii) What is the transient nature of language policies in Uganda? and (iii) What implications do the language situation and policies have in relation to the language rights and linguistic freedoms of Ugandans? The paper is based on an on-going research project that investigates the possibility of strengthening indigenous languages for their increased viability to national development. Data were collected using interviews and content analysis. Using a triangulation method, associations were drawn between language policy and language diversity and the prevalent abuse of language rights which surrounds the use and development of indigenous languages in both formal and informal contexts.
