Members of Parliament have urged media institutions and cultural bodies to take a leading role in restoring proper use of Kinyarwanda amid growing concerns over declining language standards and weakening cultural values.
The call was made during a meeting between MPs from the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Technology, Culture, Sports and Youth and stakeholders including media representatives and the National Itorero Council.
Lawmakers said gaps in the correct use of Kinyarwanda — particularly among younger generations — reflect deeper challenges in preserving Rwanda’s cultural identity.
MP Gallican Niyongana stressed that the media, as a powerful communication platform, must actively promote accurate and consistent use of the national language.
“The media reaches millions of citizens and can influence behaviour within a short time. It should be at the forefront of improving language standards,” he said.
Parliament tasked the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) and the Rwanda Media Commission (RMC) to outline concrete interventions to enhance the quality of Kinyarwanda used in broadcast and print content, especially at a time when digital platforms are accelerating language shifts.
RMC Chairperson Scovia Mutesi attributed part of the problem to rapid technological change and leadership gaps in some institutions, warning that these factors are contributing to both language distortion and cultural erosion.
RBA Director General Cleophas Barore said the public broadcaster is promoting proper language use through educational programming and editorial standards but acknowledged that more action is needed within schools.
“Today, you may ask someone to write what they have just said, and they fail to do so, despite having gone through the education system. The education sector must reinforce language mastery. We should not speak what we cannot write,” Barore said, urging integration of cultural values into school curricula.
The National Itorero Council highlighted a weakening culture of transmitting values within families and growing tendencies to mix foreign languages with Kinyarwanda.
Its Chairperson, Ambassador Robert Masozera, emphasised the need for a mindset shift, revealing that 88.6 percent of Rwandans demonstrate awareness of cultural values, according to recent findings.
“We are implementing a nationwide campaign to encourage citizens to use their language correctly and make it a norm across institutions,” he said.
The Council also announced a nationwide drive encouraging citizens to visit more than 500 heritage sites and eight national museums to deepen historical awareness and strengthen cultural identity.
In addition, competitions in Kinyarwanda writing, reading and public speaking are planned, alongside efforts to boost book publishing. Officials noted that only 1,260 books have been published since 2015 — a figure described as modest over a decade.
MPs reiterated that safeguarding Kinyarwanda is not merely a linguistic issue but a strategic imperative for national identity and intergenerational continuity.
