The Abasuba community wants the Ministry of Education to introduce their language in the new curriculum for lower primary pupils.
In a petition presented to the Senate by four Homa Bay residents, the community wants the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to introduce Suba language in schools located in areas dominated by the community.
Joseph Opanga, Godfrey Jelah, Kennedy Jagwassi and George Wagaka said this will protect the endangered community.
The residents want the Senate to come up with Endangered Language Bill to protect, promote and ensure that the 13 Kenyan endangered languages are promoted.
“The Abasuba community has faced serious historical injustices and violation of human rights as a community and has gradually disappeared due to introduction of Luo language as medium of instruction in Abasuba schools both in pre-primary and primary schools,” part of the petition read.
The petition presented to the Senate on Tuesday and forwarded to the Senate Education Committee for scrutiny for period of 60 days.
Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’ said the petition will help in conserving the Suba language facing extinction.
“This petition is aimed at protecting the Suba language which is under a serious threat,” said Mr Kajwang.’
He cautioned that the matter should be handled with care to avoid political rift between the Luo and Abasuba communities who coexist peacefully.
The petition comes after a statement by KICD dated April, indicated that the indigenous language to be taught in schools located in areas dominated by Abasuba as from January 1, 2019 will be Dholuo.
According to the petitioners, this will kill the Suba language completely. The government first recognised the Abasuba community through a Gazette Notice in 1994 which created the Abasuba District.
The notice had also directed the Kenya Institute of Education to publish books in Suba.
