On 21st August, 2025, National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) held a conference to discuss the development of terminologies for indigenous languages of Uganda. The conference, held at Kyambogo University’s Central Teaching Facility, drew delegates from government, civil society, cultural institutions and education partners.
The purpose of the conference was to expose stakeholders to the Terminology Development Handbook and the Facilitator’s Guide-two documents developed by the Centre to aid the standardisation of language terms and facilitate the development of materials for use in teaching and learning. The Terminology Handbook contains knowledge frameworks, principles and methods that specialists rely on to develop and standardise terminologies for specific languages.
Mr Phillip Oketcho, the Manager of the Literature Bureau, a department of NCDC, said the project was part of a long-term initiative to empower Ugandan languages to develop appropriate terminologies and produce materials for use in teaching and learning.
Dr Richard Irumba, the NCDC Deputy Director for Research, Consultancy and Library Services, said the terminology project was critical to the teaching and learning of indigenous languages in schools.
“Terminology development is important for this country, given the ongoing education reforms. The Thematic Curriculum emphasises learning in the local language. Some of these are high-level language constructs,’ he told delegates.
The ongoing dialogue reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that literacy remains a cornerstone of Uganda’s education system and a driver for socio-economic transformation. The conference attracted several eminent speakers, including Prof. Kwesi Kwaa Prah, the guest speaker; Dr Kibuuka Kiingi, a scientist, linguist and terminologist, and Dr Gilbert Gumoshabe, a senior lecturer at Makerere University.
Mr Patrick Muinda, the Commissioner for Library, E-Learning and Information Technology at the Ministry of Education and Sports, who represented the ministry’s Permanent Secretary as Chief Guest, said the Government of Uganda was committed to strengthening local languages as vital tools for teaching, learning, and research. In his keynote address, Prof Prah emphasised the role of language as a tool for socio-economic transformation in Africa.
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