The sociolinguistic situation of English in Uganda

In Uganda, English has attracted very high prestige and status over the years. It is the language of public, political and social discourse (Katamba 2006) and the main language of instruction in schools. English has furthermore developed into the most influential interethnic language in Uganda, as it has in other East African countries (Mazrui and Mazrui 1998). This chapter examines the sociolinguistic situation of English in Uganda, highlighting its status, use and the associated attitudes and beliefs. It discusses the development of English as the de facto national language and shows why, despite the presence of local languages, English continues to dominate the public domain.