Government withdraws Kiswahili Bill
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PARLIAMENT – The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has withdrawn the Uganda National Kiswahili Bill, 2023 paving the way for the Ministry of Education and Sports to re-table the proposed law.
The Minister of State for Gender and Culture, Hon. Peace Mutuuzo, subsequently, withdrew the Bill during a plenary sitting on Tuesday, 22 October 2024.
“In yesterday’s meeting, Cabinet reconsidered its earlier position on hosting the Bill from the Ministry of Gender to the Ministry of Education,” Mutuuzo said.
Speaker, Anita Among, referred the Bill to the education ministry.
On 17 October 2024, the Minister of State for Education and Sports (Sports), Hon. Peter Ogwang moved for the withdrawal of the Bill.
The Bill hit a snag, for the second time during the Second Reading last week after lawmakers questioned the ownership of the Bill and the need for a Kiswahili Council, compelling the Speaker to guide the two ministries to harmonise their positions.
The object of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of the Uganda National Kiswahili Council, its functions, its linkage with local governments and its funds, among others after Article 6(2) of the Constitution made Kiswahili the second official language of Uganda.
