The New Times Newsroom in KigaliWhen I visited the newsroom of the New Times newspaper in Kigali, I was taken aback when almost all reporters were communicating in luganda! At first I thought I was in Uganda, but I remembered the lingua franca of Uganda mews rooms is English given the diversity of languages.
When I listened further, most computers had on soft Ugandan music. I asked an editor why luganda is the language of communication and he responded that there were 3 Ugandan journalists working for the New Times. However, he also added that most of the journalists either lived in Uganda during their formative years or studied from there.
He further explained that luganda is still widely used down town and in most car garages in Kigali. I was surprised that so many years after the invasion of Rwanda from Uganda, Uganda’s influence is still being felt, even when at leadership level, there is no more love lost between both parties.
It reminded me of a few years after the present government took power; Ugandans managed all sectors of the society in Rwanda. For example; Taxis drivers, touts, teachers, road workers, security, and even prostitutes. The cars had Uganda number plates, right hand driven and Uganda currency was an acceptable mode of payment for goods and services.
Today it is slightly different, but a Ugandan of course feels at home in this land of 1000 hills.
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