Language is a cultural tool for the easy identification of a people and should be allowed to be learnt from birth to adulthood for the promotion of a people's culture and tradition. In East Africa apart from Tanzania, English is threatening other indigenous languages because government policies jealously guard its usage as a means of official communication. Virtually, everybody in every circumstance tries to accommodate the use of English language and the indigenous languages are threatened in terms of career opportunities. The English language is dangling like the sword of Damocles; because the better English you speak, the more you uphold your social-economic status in the society.

Linguistically speaking, all languages are equal, we must have the feeling that our local languages must not die, otherwise they will commit linguistic suicide and the limit of the national languages to two major languages may cause language imperialism. There is the need for the child to grow up with the language of his mother tongue to give him a view of what he is, whom he is, before thinking of external perspective.

East African language policies, although very progressive on paper only allows English to become the ‘de facto sole official language’, which benefits only the middle class and elite in our society. At the same time too little is done to transform our indigenous languages into ‘cultural capital’ in order to create a better life for the working class as well.

The power relations between the official languages need to be balanced, so that formerly advantaged people do not continue to have an unfair advantage over the rest of the countrymen “The people do not see much value in African languages? Authorities seem to be reluctant to ensure that African languages, by appropriate legal provisions, assume their rightful role as of official communication in public affairs, administrative and educational domains. No one seems to take African languages seriously. They seem to have nothing to offer except in everyday communication between members of families and informal conversation with friends and colleagues”.

East Africa needs an official language, no doubt, but the current policies are worrisome because they promote English and Kiswahili, at the expense of other mother languages. We should allow East Africans to nurture their own mother language and share this with others or even the world. As we begin to appreciate the rhythms and cadences, the humour and the wisdom, in each of our many languages, we just might be able to overcome our parochialism and regionalism and build a region strong in its multicultural foundations. There has been a continuing tension in most African countries between these two tendencies accompanied by ambivalent attitudes towards English: on the one hand a recognition of its practical usefulness, on the other an uncomfortable frustration that Africans had little choice because of their subjection to a Western metropolitan culture. This tension and ambivalence were complicated by the fact that the new political elite totally ignored the academics and writers who argued in favour of the use of mother tongue. After all, the colonial language provided for the immediate language needs of the elite who, without due consideration, accepted it as the best language option for political unity, international communication, a medium to transfer skills and knowledge and which would introduce them to Western value systems.

Today we find ourselves at the threshold of the 21st century also known as the Information Society. “…everyone can create, utilise and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and people to achieve their full potential in promoting sustainable development and improving their quality of life…” The Knowledge Economy is the economic component of the Information Society in which information is used productively or in innovative ways to create wealth. Our diverse indigenous language heritage is an important enabling resource for developing communities to actively participate in the Knowledge Economy and to create wealth through the generation of knowledge. The perception that our indigenous languages are not fit for this purpose is preposterous. It merely requires a shift in mindset and dedication by its speakers to create a presence on the Internet, design websites and develop sustainable products and services in that particular language.

Our past language legacy makes people to have a tendency to equate mother tongue with backwardness and traditionalism. It also brings back memories of a divided past, substandard education and tribalism. Such notions are understandable, but we often forget that it is not language in itself that causes conflict and hatred amongst people, but rather the lack of opportunities and inability to access it.

This will stimulate the need to translate or write academic textbooks in other languages and improve pass rates. The various products and services on offer by the cultural industry must be made available in all the official languages. Radio, music, books, lexicography and even TV series are already available in most of the official languages. In doing so, the cultural industry can become a leading employment industry and a major revenue contributor Africa. The various language units at our universities to become more industry focused and train potential artist, writers, musicians, journalist, etc, for the cultural and its related industries.

Countries in East Africa stands to lose nothing if they take bold steps and start positioning our indigenous languages as major trajectories for academic excellence and economic empowerment. Instead we stand to gain much in terms of improved academic achievements, self-pride, self-reliance, a more tolerant society, high levels of creativity, communities taking ownership, more economic opportunities, etc. This does not mean that we should dismiss the importance of English, because it enables us to communicate across local and international boundaries. A good verbal command of the English language and being able to write it fairly well is non-negotiable. An English only approach is however contrary to the letter and spirit of our national constitution. Also we stand to lose too much if we would go this way.

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