President Paul Kagame has called on young people to learn and use proper Kinyarwanda, saying preserving the language is essential to safeguarding Rwanda’s culture and national identity.
He made the remarks on Tuesday while meeting participants of the 16th cohort of the Indangamirwa Itorero civic education program at the Gabiro Military Training School, where he spoke about the purpose of the program and the values it seeks to instill in young people.
The President said Itorero plays an important role in nurturing discipline, good character and cultural values, helping participants avoid harmful behaviors such as drug abuse and other negative influences.
During his address, Kagame emphasized the importance of speaking Kinyarwanda correctly, noting that while some adults also struggle with the language, young people have the advantage of being able to learn quickly.
“It’s not only you. There are adults who no longer speak Kinyarwanda properly, but your advantage is that you are still young. If you decide to learn, you can learn quickly,” he said.
He also directed organizers of the Itorero program to develop a Kinyarwanda learning program that people could access regardless of where they are.
“There should be a program that teaches Kinyarwanda and that people can follow wherever they are,” he said.
To illustrate his point, President Kagame cited several commonly used expressions that he said do not conform to standard Kinyarwanda. He pointed to the pronunciation of “Cane” instead of “Cyane,” saying the former is not part of proper Kinyarwanda.
“There is no ‘Cane’ in Kinyarwanda. The correct word is ‘Cyane.’ Can you hear the difference between ‘Ca’ and ‘Cya’?” he asked.
He also discouraged the use of the word “Ntago,” saying the correct expression is “Ntabwo.”
“I often hear people say ‘Ntago.’ There is no ‘Ntago.’ The correct word is ‘Ntabwo,'” he said.
The President further noted that some speakers incorrectly use the verb guhereza when they simply mean guha. He explained that saying namuhaye (“I gave it to him or her”) is correct in that context, while namuhereje changes the meaning and should not be used interchangeably.
Kagame also reminded the Chief of Defence Staff and the Rwanda National Police that he had previously instructed them to promote the proper use of Kinyarwanda within the military and police.
The President has consistently used his meetings with participants of the Indangamirwa Itorero program to encourage the correct use of Kinyarwanda, describing the language as an important pillar of Rwanda’s cultural heritage that should be preserved and passed on to future generations.
