Ugandan youth missing out on regional trade over failure to speak Kiswahili
A study by Makerere University’s College of Education and External Studies, presented at a recent meeting in Kampala city, reveals that language barriers are stifling economic opportunities for skilled youth, even as programmes like Presidential Industrial Hubs and YES Empowerment Services equip them with technical expertise.
Muhammed Musoke Kiggundu (left) Head of Humanities and language education department Makerere handing over Kiswahili books to Raymond Kamugisha (right) Director Presidential Industrial Hubs as Levi Kahaika Masereka (centre) looks on. This was during the dissemination of Kiswahili literacy at Makerere University on August 6, 2025. (Photo by Nancy Nanyonga)
By Dallen Namugga
Journalists @New Vision
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Despite significant investments in vocational training, Ugandan youth are being sidelined in East Africa’s booming regional trade markets due to a critical shortfall: The inability to speak Kiswahili.
Kiswahili is the official East African Community (EAC) language.
A study by Makerere University’s College of Education and External Studies, presented at a recent meeting in Kampala city, reveals that language barriers are stifling economic opportunities for skilled youth, even as programmes like Presidential Industrial Hubs and YES Empowerment Services equip them with technical expertise.
The gap in vocational training
While Uganda’s vocational initiatives have empowered thousands with skills in tailoring, mechanics, and agriculture, Kiswahili —the language of cross-border commerce —is absent from vocational education curricula.
“Youth are trained but blocked at the border by language,” says Dr Levi Masereka, the principal investigator of a three-year government-funded project: Integrating Kiswahili Literacy in Vocational Skilling among Vulnerable Youth.
The research, conducted in Kasese and other regions, uncovered systemic flaws:
No standardised Kiswahili syllabus in vocational institutions.
Inadequate teaching materials: 80% of learners lacked trade-specific resources.
Poor instruction: Part-time teachers provided just two hours of weekly Kiswahili, often using outdated secondary school notes.
A benchmarking trip to Tanzania showed contrasts. Institutions like BAKITA and the Institute of Kiswahili Research offered tailored materials for trades like plumbing and hospitality, resources virtually non-existent in Uganda.
Kiswahili for the workplace
To bridge the gap, researchers developed: Kiswahili Halisi kwa Vituo na Vyuo vya Ufundi, an illustrated manual integrating technical vocabulary and real-world scenarios.
Over 51 institutions now use the textbook, which covers:
Trade-specific terms for mechanics, hospitality and agriculture.
Role-play exercises for client negotiations and service delivery.
Content validated by Tanzanian experts and Uganda’s education authorities.
Complementing the manual, 50+ youth have undergone intensive training in “business Kiswahili,” mastering communication for sales, marketing, and cross-border transactions. “We’re not just teaching language—we’re teaching economic empowerment,” instructor Edward Baluku said.
Calls for action
Despite Kiswahili’s status as an EAC official language, Uganda lags in institutionalising it in vocational facilities. Researchers urge:
Mandatory Kiswahili in vocational curricula.
Recruitment of full-time, specialised instructors.
Digital tools and apps to scale learning access.
A national task force (MoES, NCDC, DIT) to align training with regional trade goals.
Professor Kiggundu Muhammad Musoke, head of Makerere’s humanities and language education, said: “Kiswahili must be embedded in vocational studies to unlock economic participation.”