During a debate at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), a legislator was stopped for speaking in Kiswahili.
Dorothe Nganiza, a Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) lawmaker, requested that her contribution on the recent attacks in Uganda be delivered in Kiswahili, but her request was denied.
On a point of order, legislators at the regional parliament demanded that she speak in English because it is the EAC’s working language.
Kenyan lawmaker David ole Sankok tried to intervene but she was not allowed to proceed in Kiswahili.
He argued that the rules could be changed to allow the DRC legislator to make her contribution in Kiswahili.
However, South Sudan’s Gabriel Alaak said allowing Nganiza to speak in Kiswahili would attract more problems.
“Countries like South Sudan will propose Arabic,” he explained.
