Kithaka wa Mberia of the University of Nairobi roots for indigenous African languagesAfrica’s slow pace in socio-economic and political development could be due to its reliance on European languages like English, French and German. In a Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Kithaka wa Mberia-like  academic argument, Owen McOnyango, a lecturer at Maseno University in western Kenya, contends that Africans must resort to their mother tongues for their own good and that of the mother continent. OGOVA ONDEGO  speaks to McOnyango after delivering his speech in Kiswahili and not his native Dholuo during the inaugural Lake Victoria Festival of the Arts (LAFESTA) in Kisumu in June 2005.

Why do you feel Kiswahili should be taught whereas Tanzania that obstinately clang to the language, is now being forced to learn English?

No language should be taken at the expense of another. When you start learning mother tongue it doesn’t mean you should forget or ignore other languages, as you need to communicate. Tanzania went so much into Kiswahili till they realised they couldn’t communicate with the rest of the world. Tanzania not only has problems with English but also with its various mother tongues. They are trying to teach children English through private schools in Kenya and Uganda. The Institute of Kiswahili Research of the University of Dar es Salaam is also going around Tanzania collecting oral stories for preservation in Kiswahili before they vanish. The local vernaculars also need to be preserved.

Why do we want to re-invent the wheel in Kenya by speaking Kiswahili, Luluyia, or Dholuo when the world speaks English?

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Even English is weak without other languages. Linguists are collecting even those languages spoken by the fewest people. English, though big, can’t survive without the others. Otherwise it could find itself in the position of Kiswahili in Tanzania. A balance should be created.

Mimba Ingali Mimba na Hadithi Nyingine is a collection of short stories for schools that Own McOnyango has edited.Then why is it a problem when we say children should learn mother tongue first? If I am a mLuyia but don’t speak Luluyia, and my first language is English or Kiswahili and I teach this to my children, where is the problem?

Language is a complex thing. Some people have grown up in cosmopolitan cities like Nairobi and don’t use their parents’ language. We are saying that as much as possible, a child should be exposed to what would be the first language. It helps the child to pick up concepts and learn faster. Languages depend on one another: French, English, Spanish, Italian, or even Arabic.

Where did you learn your good Kiswahili when the Luo community that you belong to is not known to count Kiswahili as one of its assets?

I don’t know if my Kiswahili is excellent but I learnt it in school. I grew up in Nairobi speaking it, studied it in primary and secondary school and then in University as well. But not everyone who grew up in Nairobi speaks Kiswahili as I do. As for me, I took great interest in Kiswahili and learnt as much of it as I possibly could.

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You head the Department of African Languages at Maseno University …

I was head till recently when my department was merged with other departments of languages to create a bigger department known as Linguistics, Languages and Literature.

University of Nairobi, where Ngugi wa Thiong’o taught before going into exile, has had its Linguistics and African Languages Department for a long time. This is also where Kithaka wa Mberia, another proponent of African languages, lectures. Would you say this department has had any impact on the teaching of African languages in Kenya?

In the study of Kiswahili, yes. In the part of linguistics as a general discipline, yes. But in the study of other Kenyan languages I must say this department from which I graduated has done very poorly. Some people have done their theses in languages like Gikuyu but the department has performed very poorly on language as tools in development.

ngugi-wa-thiongo-300x242-8444630How would you like to conclude this interview?

I’d like to say language is very important but not just as sounds and words but as a tool that can be used to inspire development and also in the welfare of society as a whole.

Below is the Kiswahili paper,”Lugha na Uzalendo: Ni wakati wa Uamuzi”,that Owen McOnyango delivered in Kisumu:

Swala la “Ni lugha gain sisi Waafrika tunastahili kuitumia?” ni swala ambalo limeulizwa na kujadiliwa tangu siku za ukoloni. Wanasiasa kama Nyerere, na wanasanaa kama Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Wole Soyinka , na wengine wengi wamelidadisia jambo hili kwa muda mrefu. Kwesi Prah, mwanaisimu na mwenyeji wa Ghana ambaye kwa sasa anafanya kazi Afrika Kusini amekuwa akiwakaripia Waafrika kwamba swala la “Tutumie au tusitumie lugha za kikwetu?” ni swali ambalo ni Waafrika peke yao ambao wangali wakiuliza. Jamii nyingine katika ulimwengu walikwisha kulijibu swali hilo na vile vile kufanya uamuzi.

Nchi kama China, Japani, Tanzania, Ufaransa, Korea (Kaskazini na Kusini) na nchi za Kiarabu waliamua zamani kuzitumia lugha zao badala ya lugha za kigeni katika maendeleo ya nchi zao. Yabidi tukumbuke kuwa hata Waingereza kwa miaka mingi walikuwa wasemaji ama Kilatini au Kigiriki. Lakini nao Waingereza waliamua kwamba katika kujiendeleza ni lazima warudi kwenye lugha yao ya mama “Kiingereza.”

Baada ya kusoma na kutafiti kwingi hili jambo la lugha na uzalendo na kuhusu lugha naonelea nimefikia uamuzi ufuatao:

Hakuna nchi iliyoendelea kwa kutumia lugha ya kigeni. Si China, si Marekani, si Japani, si Korea. Nchi yaweza tu kuendelea baada ya kuiamini na kujihisi kwamba ina uwezo wa ndani wa kujiendeleza.

Tatizo kubwa lipo kwenye fasili yetu ya lugha. Yaani jibu kwa swala la lugha ni nini?

Lugha imekuwa ikielezwa kuwa ni mkusanyiko wa sauti zilizopangwa kwenye mfumo ambao jamii hutumia kama kifaa cha mawasiliano. Wanaisimu wamekuwa katika mstari wa mbele katika upendekezo fasili hiyo lugha katika upana wake wa kuathiri siasa, uchumi, utamaduni, sanaa, usalama, kilimo na maeneo mapana ya maisha ya jamii basi fasili hiyo haitoshi. Ni fasili finyu mno.

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Lugha ndiyo kikapu cha kubebea utamaduni mzima wa jamii. Lugha ni chombo chenya kueleza fikra za jamii kuhusu njia za kukubaliana na mazingira katika kujikimu kimaisha. Kwa hivyo uchumi, siasa na njia za jamii kujikinga kutokana na ujasiri utoka nja hujitokeza au yafaa kuitokeza katika lugha wanayoisema watu wa jamii fulani. Tukikubaliana kwa hayo, hatuna budi kukubaliana kwamba kiwango cha sanaa lazima ikaribie zaidi msisimko ya ndani kwa ndani katika fikra na mioyo ya wasanii wa jamii yoyote ile. Kwa hivyo sanaa lazima itokane na jamii na kuwasilishwa kwa lugha ambayo ni ya kukaribiana zaidi na asili ya jamii inayohusika.

Pingamizi kubwa ambalo litaibiliwa na rai ya kuwataka wasaii wawasilishe kazi zao kwa lugha ya mama ni kwamba:

1. Hawataweza kuwasiliana na watu wengi hasa wa jamii zisizoelewa lugha mama inayohusika.
2. Hawataweza kufikia soko kubwa ulimwengu.

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Hakuna jibu rahisi au moja kwa moja. Hata hivyo kuna jibu na jibu hilo linajitokeza kama swali.Yaani, “Wewe msanii unaposanii, hadhira yako ni nani?” au “usanii wako unataka uwafikie wageni au wenyeji kwanza?”

Na kuna njia mwafaka ya kuwafikia wageni, na hiyo njia ni ya tafsiri. Kisha lengo langu si kuwafungia wasanii ili kuwalazimisha kutumia lugha za mama peke yake. Sina uwezo huo. Na huo uwezo sitaki. Himizo ni kwamba kwa vyovyote vile mahala pazuri zaidi pa kuanzia kwa kutumia luga ya mama. Yaani kusanii kwa kulenga hadhiri asilia. Fasihi na sanaa kwa jumla, ikiwa ya hali ya juu, itakuwa fasihi au sanaa ya ulimwengu mzima bila kufungiwa na lugha iliyotumiwa au hadhiri inayonuiwa mwanzo.

Besides singing, dancing and storytelling, Zemkala can also perform mind-boggling acrobatic fetes
Sanaa zote za kuheshimika zilifuata mkondo huu. Fasihi tunazoziheshimu kutoka nchi za kigeni zilianzia kama fasihi simulizi ya jamii moja au nyengine. Maandishi mengi ya Shakespeare tunaelezwa kuwa yalitokana na hadithi simulizi kunyambuliwa na kuwasilishwa upya katika lugha ya Kiingereza, yaani lugha ya mama ya Shakespeare. Mara nyingi tunasahau kwamba Kiingereza hakikuanza kama lugha ya kimataifa. Ni lugha ya mama kama Kinyore, Kimaragoli, Kibukusu, Dholuo, Kitugen, Kipsigis, Kikisii, Kikamba, Kinyamwezi, Kizulu, Kikhosa. Lakini wasemaji asilia wa Kiingereza kama Shakespeare, Shaw, Hothorne, Milton na wengine waliamini kuwa lugha yao ya mama, au lugha yao ya kikabila ingeweza kuwa chombo cha kuinulia jamii yao. Ndivyo walivyoamini Wafaransa na Wareno kuhusu Kireno na Kifaransa, lugha mbili zilizotia fora sana Afrika za ukoloni na kwa muda huu wote baada ya ukoloni.

Swala jingine ambalo huulizwa ni kwamba, “Je, lugha za Kiafrika zinaweza kutumiwa kuendeleza teknolojia?” Swali hili huulizwa na wengi ambao wanaoonelea kuwa hakuna msamiati wa kutosha kuwakilisha maneno ya teknolojia katika Dholuo, Kiidakho, Kiteso na Kinyarwanda kwa mfano. Swali hili linastahili kujibiwa katika vikao hivi vya LAFESTA 2005. Jibu ni kwamba maneno mengi yanoyotumiwa ya kisayansi, ya kiteknolojia na ya kiufundi katika Kiingereza si maneno ya Kingereza. Kiasi kikubwa cha maneno hayo ni ya kukopwa kutoka kwenye lugha zingine. Mengi ni ya Kigiriki na Kilatini. Mengi ni ya kutokana na kutohoa maneno ya lugha mbali na Kiingereza.Yaliosalia ambayo ni ya Kiingereza, Waingereza wenyewe wamefanya kuyaunda mara neno linapohitajika. Kwa nini na sisi Waafrika tusifanye hivyo? Kwa karne nyingi kabla ya ukoloni Waafrika walikuwa na teknolojia asilia na walikuwa na uwezo wa kuibua msamiati wa kufaa kila walipohitaji kufanya hivyo. Na hizo ni nchi ambazo zinajiendeleza na kufikia teknolojia ya kinuklia.

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Chinua Achebe anasimulia hadithi aliyosimuliwa na Profesa Kinichiro Toba wa Chuo Kikuu cha Waseda kuhusu namna ambavyo Japani iliweza kujiinua kiteknolojia. Kinichiro anasema:

Baba yangu alifuzu kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Tokyo katika miaka ya mwanzoni mwa 1880.Vidokezo vyake vyote vilikuwa kwa Kiingereza. Baba yangu alifuzu kutoka chuo hicho mwaka wa 1920 na nusu ya vidokezo vyote vilikuwa katika Kiingereza. Nilipofuzu kizazi kimoja baadaye vidokezo vyangu vyote vilikuwa katika lugha ya Kijapani. Kwa hivyo, ilichikuwa vizazi vitatu kuweza kuimiliki maendeleo ya Kimagharibi kupitia lugha yetu ya kiasili (Uk 110 Hopes and Impediments)

Huo ndio mkondo ambao tunaweza kuufuata kufikia maendeleo ambayo tunahitaji sana hapa katika maeneo ya Ziwa la Victoria.

La kufanya
Inabidi tuanzishe taasisi ya kutafiti, kuandika na kueneza ujuzi kuhusu lugha zetu katika maeneo haya ya Ziwa la Victoria. Taasisi yenyewe iweze kutafiti kuhusu lugha, sanaa, siasa, maswala ya maendeleo, teknolojia, uchumi, utamaduni, kilimo na nyanja zote za maisha ya jamii zinanazoishi katika maeneo haya ya Ziwa La Victoria katika nchi ya Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, na Rwanda. Jukumu kubwa la taasisi liwe ni kutafiti njia mwafaka za jamii zetu kujiinua kisiasa, kiuchumi na kitamaduni. Taasisi pia inaweza kupewa jukumu la kutafuta njia bora zaidi ya kuendeleza sanaaa na wasanii kwa njia ambazo zitawafanya wasanii kuifaidi kutokana na usanii wao na vile vile kutumia sanaa kuimarisha jamii zao.

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Uzalendo wenye Vitendo
Tukiwa na fikra kama hizo ambazo nimejaribu kupendekeza hapo juu tutaitwa wazalendo. Kwangu uzalendo si kupenda nchi yako na jamii yako na kutokomea hapo. Ndilo kosa ambalo tumefanya hadi leo. Tumekuwa tukipendekeza kuwa Waafrika wapende Afrika na Waafrika.Tumekuwa tukipendekeza Wakenya wapende Kenya na Wakenya. Tumekuwa tukipendekeza Watanzania, Waganda na Warwanda wazipende nchi zao na wananchi wenzao. Lakini vikubwa kwa kusahau au kwa maksudi hatukupendeleza wananchi wa nchi hizo au Waafrika kwa jumla kutenda matendo maalum ya kudhihirisha mapenzi yao kwa nchi zao au kwa bara nzima la Afrika.Yaani ili kuafikiana kutosheleza mahitaji ya nchi zetu na hasa ya maeneo yetu ya Ziwa la Victoria napendekeza uzalendo si wa kinadharia bali uzalendo wenye vitendo.

Hitimisho
Katika wasilisho langu kuhusu lugha na uzalendo nimependekeza kwamba tumefikia wakati wa kufanya uamuzi. Uamuzi wenyewe ni kwamba tuwe na fasili ya lugha wenye ukamilifu zaidi. Yaani lugha iwe chombo cha kutuwezesha kufikia matamanio yetu kama jamii ya kuweza kujikimu kimaisha. Mkondo wa kufwatwa napendekeza uwe ule wa sisi kujiamini kwa kuanza taasisi ya kiusoni si kwa ajili ya kutafiti tu bali taasisi ya kuibua njia maalum za kuinua jamii zetu za maeneo ya Ziwa la Victoria. Vile vile kuhusu uzalendo, ninapendekeza uzalendo usio wa kinadharia tu, uzalendo wa kupenda nchi na wananchi na kukomea hapo. Nimependekeza uzalendo wenye matendo.

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