Uganda Muslim UK Convention: Nakibinge urges diaspora community to preserve their cultural identity
by Sarah Kivumbi
Prince Kassim Nakibinge, the titular head of the Muslim Community in Uganda has urged Ugandans living in the diaspora not to neglect teaching children their native languages.
Nakibinge made the remarks on Thursday while opening the Uganda Muslim UK Convention at the Hilton Hotel Croydon London. The convention is themed;Islam, Society and Humanity.
Nakibinge said that Ugandans in the diaspora must endeavour to teach their children about their tribes and clans so that they understand their ancestry.
“Children cannot learn and understand their native languages unless the parents are using it at home,” Nakibinge said. He added that it saddens to see children returning back to Uganda when they can’t communicate with relatives because of language barrier.
“Children spend most of their time in schools and this has denied them a chance to learn their native languages,” Nakibinge said.
He however applauded the Muslim community in the diaspora for promoting their religion despite living in countries that a largely non-Muslim.
“We are very grateful for the initiative because we have seen several recorded videos on social media of children in diaspora reciting the Quran very well,” Nakibinge said.
The Prince also thanked Ugandans living abroad for investing back home especially in real estate. He however urged them to keenly follow their money to ensure that it is not misused.
“Those of you who have bought land, you must make sure that it is not vacant. We have a lot of land grabbing in Uganda. When you find encroachers, it’s very hard to evict them. There are several ventures you can invest in when you have bought land and these include; farming, constructing schools, apartments and commercial structures ,”Nakibinge said.
The four-day convention is focused on a number of issues which include; education, networking, culture exchange, spiritual nourishment and personal development in the context of Islam.
