Language Policy for Radio in Uganda and Tanzania: Public Sphere or ‘Public Sphericules’?

Abstract

This paper places in historical context Tanzania and Uganda’s broadcast language policies. The paper further examines the role of language policy in enhancing radio’s potential as an arena for political expression in Tanzania and Uganda. It takes cognizance of the apparent tension between fostering a national public sphere and creating room for emerging public sphericules, often based on linguistic or ethnic loyalties. The paper is informed by document review and over 40 in-depth interviews with academics in the humanities, media and language policy experts, the media, local leaders, media owners and managers, civil society and members of the public both in Tanzania and Uganda. The interviews were conducted at different times over a period of ive years (2004-2009). The paper concludes that there are deinite beneits accruing from a deinitive language policy that privileges one of the indigenous languages for public communication as demonstrated in the case of Tanzania. However, this works well where there is some form of consensus on the selected language. It proposes that a case be made for a multi-tier language regime that caters for eficient communication from the governor to the governed, allows the governed to debate important issues among themselves and also to respond to the governors, and enables the citizens to remain globally relevant. The issue therefore becomes not public sphere OR sphericules, but public sphere and sphericules.