Rukiga

Rukiga, also called Rukiiga, is a Bantu language spoken by the Bakiga people of southwestern Uganda. It is closely related to Runyankore, and there is debate among linguists about whether it constitutes a separate language or a dialect of Runyankore; many speakers consider it a distinct language. The language is concentrated in the Kigezi subregion, including Kabale, Kisoro, Rubanda, Rukungiri, and Kanungu districts, with smaller communities in neighboring areas and among the diaspora.

Rukiga belongs to the Niger-Congo language family, within the Bantu branch. It shares a substantial amount of vocabulary and grammatical structure with Runyankore. The two varieties are often taught together and are sometimes included in a Runyankore–Rukiga linguistic continuum. The language uses a Latin-based writing system and orthography similar to Runyankore.

In grammar, Rukiga employs noun-class prefixes as in other Bantu languages and generally follows a subject–verb–object word order. It is rich in proverbs and oral literature, and its pronunciation features typical Bantu phonology.

In terms of status, Rukiga is widely used in everyday communication, local media, and community institutions, but it is not an official national language of Uganda. English and Swahili are the official languages. There are ongoing efforts to promote literacy and education in Rukiga, including publishing and radio programming. The language is an important element of Bakiga cultural identity and is taught informally at home and in community settings.