Rakai District, Uganda | In a bold cultural revival effort, the Kooki Chiefdom is embarking on an ambitious campaign to restore Lukooki, their native language, and re‑assert their distinct cultural identity. The initiative seeks to counter the widespread use of Luganda and other languages among Bakooki people, and ensure that Lukooki is passed on to younger generations rather than fading into obscurity.
Linguistic and cultural leaders acknowledge the scale of the challenge. Surveys point out that only a small percentage of Bakooki still speak Lukooki fluently, while many have adopted Luganda, Runyakitara or Kinyarwanda in their daily lives. Officials say this shift threatens the core of their cultural heritage and the sense of belonging tied to their language.
To address this, the chiefdom has deployed over 40 community agents to engage Bakooki subjects through consultations, awareness‑sessions and language‑clubs. Their first task: documenting Lukooki through collections of vocabulary, oral history, chants, proverbs and stories from elders. This foundation will later support the production of learning materials, music, radio programmes and digital archives.
Education is central to the strategy. The chiefdom aims to introduce Lukooki into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools, train teachers and build classrooms where the language is not just spoken but studied. With no existing literature or textbooks in Lukooki, the process requires creating new content from scratch posing a logistical and financial hurdle.
Funding remains a major constraint. Language revival leaders estimate the project will require tens of millions of Ugandan shillings to run fully covering workshops, printing materials, teacher pay, and media production. Partnerships with donors and cultural foundations are currently being explored.
Community pride is an under‑appreciated motivator. “Our language is the voice of our ancestors, the rhythm of our festivals, the stories of our forefathers,” says one elder. “When we lose Lukooki, we lose ourselves.” Younger participants in the campaign some in their early 20s see the revival as an opportunity to reclaim their heritage and build cultural‐based enterprises like storytelling, music and tourism.
Experts say that such efforts reflect a wider trend across Uganda’s smaller chiefdoms and cultural groups, where indigenous languages and identity are under pressure from dominant regional tongues and modernisation. Reviving Lukooki is not just about words; it is a move to rebuild social cohesion, inter‑generational heritage and community development.
As the Kooki Chiefdom moves forward, success will depend on sustained support, infrastructure, school integration and community buy‑in. If accomplished, the revival could become a model for other cultural communities seeking to protect their linguistic heritage in an increasingly globalised world.