NRM's Todwong explains value of learning Kiswahili

Todwong, who was overseeing the completion of phase one of training the Kiswahili language at the NRM headquarters, said: "I am happy that you have taken the time to learn because this is expanding your opportunities in the region. You can go to Kenya and get a job. You can go to Tanzania and apply for something.”

Said the secretary general: “You learnt the basics of counting, greetings and other fundamentals and I am sure the next semester which begins in January will be more interesting.”

Todwong hailed the learners for sparing time to attend. “Learning will never end as long as you are a human being. The dreams you have are part of life. It is a bonus to learn an additional language to your original language,” he said.

“The more languages you speak, the better you are in terms of competition, knowledge, and terms of interaction. So you might be speaking Luganda so well or English and now you have added Kiswahili and any other good language.”

Internationally now, people are learning French, German, Italian, Chinese and others to ease trade and movement. “But within the region, Kiswahili is the most important language you should learn,” Todwong said.

The NRM Central Executive Committee member and Minister of State for Defense Huda Oleru encouraged the learners to seize the opportunity of speaking the regional language to enjoy the benefits of regional integration like trade. “You are doing the best thing and don’t regret your time as you attend these classes.”

The NRM Director of Finance and Administration Hajjat Medina Naham was excited to describe the learners as good cadres who will always be deployed to mobilise for support.