I am now speaking English. I refer to the British language as a captured weapon we are now employing.

General Yoweri Kagutta Museveni

Gen. Museveni said bragged so while speaking at the function at the residence of the British High Commissioner in Kampala for the 2017 Official Birthday celebrations of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and also the 65^th anniversary of her reign.

Yes, English is recognised as the official language of Uganda, meaning de facto that official policies for Uganda are written and debated in English.

That English is the official language of Uganda provides an analytical framework for power dynamics between British culture and by extension global-western culture, on the one hand; and ‘African-Ugandan culture’ on the other hand.

• Who in Uganda knows English and who doesn’t?
• How does knowing English impact on one’s enjoyment or not of their right to be heard and to be provided for?
• Does the English contained in policy documents for Uganda inspire confidence or not in those documents?
• Does the English contained in policy documents for Uganda inspire confidence or not in the competence of the authors of those documents?
• Who are the authors of Uganda’s policy documents?
• Are the authors of Uganda’s policy documents sufficiently knowledgeable about Uganda or not?

Answers to these questions confirm that English is far from being a weapon that Ugandans have captured and are employing for the good of the majority; but rather it is a weapon through which neo-colonialism sustains and through which rights abuses against the majority of Ugandans are perpetuated. Read a more detailed analysis here.

Photo credit: @KagutaMuseveni on Twitter