By Tugume Johnbosco
HOIMA. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has challenged Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom on preservation and promotion of the native language and culture through writing books to cater for the future generation.
According to the President, numerous customs regarding marriage etiquette, rich social philosophy expressed in the proverbs of local languages should be put on paper for the future generations to always refer to.
This was contained in Museveni’s message delivered for him by the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga during celebrations to mark Bunyoro omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru’s 25th Coronation Anniversary. The function was held at Karuziika Palace in Hoima town on Tuesday.
The president who commended Omukama Iguru for playing a role in unifying the people in the region, said language and culture ensures that people don’t lose their identity. He said the NRM government restored traditional cultural institutions with the aim of promoting unity amongst communities.
“The NRM government took a bold step of restoring the traditional kingdoms and allowing the formation of new ones in order to preserve their rich cultural heritage, languages, and positive norms,” he said.
He also called upon African nation states to unite to form bigger markets for goods, services and form strong security buffer against acts of aggression by power outsiders. “Colonialism in Africa was successful because of disunity. The painful gains of African sovereignty from the iron feast of colonialism can only be consolidated by strong focus on exploiting the similarities in history, languages, cultures an interest that we share to form greater unity,” the President observed.
Meanwhile in his speech read for him by his Prime Minister, Andrew Byakutaga, Omukama Iguru commended government for the social infrastructural developments in Bunyoro and urged his subjects to take advantage of them to develop.
