Buganda Kingdom Urges Central Ugandan Youth to Rekindle the Lost Art of Reading

Cultural leaders from the Buganda Kingdom’s education department have embarked on a massive sensitization tour across schools in Central Uganda, urging students to reclaim a vibrant reading culture. During visits to several primary and secondary schools, officials warned that an over-reliance on digital visual media is eroding critical thinking and analytical depth among the youth.

The Kingdom’s officials noted that the modern generation often treats reading as a chore limited strictly to passing exams. Once exams are over, textbooks are discarded. “To be a leader and an innovator, you must be a reader,” a Kingdom minister told students in Mukono. “Reading broadens your horizons. It teaches you empathy, history, and gives you mastery over languages.“

To put their words into action, the Buganda Kingdom’s education trust has partnered with local publishers to distribute Luganda and English literature and storybooks to underprivileged rural primary schools. The initiative aims to build mini-libraries in classroom corners.

The Kingdom is also encouraging schools to set aside “Uninterrupted Silent Reading” hours during the school week and revive inter-school essay-writing competitions. By making reading fun and culturally relevant, Buganda’s leadership hopes to lay a strong foundational literacy base for the next generation of Ugandan professionals.