Ugandan presidential candidate Mubarak Munyagwa has raised eyebrows with a campaign promise to scrap Swahili as a national language and make French official alongside English.
Munyagwa, the leader of the Common Man’s Party (CMP), argued that the French language offers greater regional value.
Munyagwa’s bold pledge: Ditch Swahili, embrace French
Speaking at a campaign event, Munyagwa noted that many of Uganda’s neighbors use French as a primary language.
These neighbours include Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and the Central African Republic.
“We shall ban Swahili as our national language, we shall ban it. We need French instead. French has a wider coverage… We don’t need Swahili; we need English and French,” he declared.
Swahili’s official role in East Africa
According to Daily Nation, Uganda officially adopted Swahili as its second national language in 2022, alongside English.
The Ugandan government officials emphasised its importance in regional integration within the East African Community (EAC).
The Swahili is widely used across East Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, and parts of Uganda.
Uganda General Elections
Uganda is set to hold its general elections on 12 January 2026.
After receiving his presidential nomination, Munyagwa pledged to restore the rule of law. Munyagwa is joining the presidential race, expected to be a rematch between President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled since 1986, and Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), a former pop star and opposition leader.
