Uganda

The Baamba live in Bundibugyo District in southwestern Uganda and across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They call their language Kwamba. In the DRC they are called Bhahumu and their language Kihumu.

Some background information

The Kwamba/Lubwisi Development Association (KLDA) started its initial work as early as 1964, and several books were written and published relating to the Lubwisi language. However, it was not until much later that the need for research into Kwamba as a distinct language was recognised. Between 1993 and 1995, Dr. C. Kutsch Lojenga, a consultant in Bantu languages from the Department of Linguistics, Leiden University, the Netherlands, carried out some research into Kwamba. Then later on in 2007, a further assessment of the language was made, leading to a draft dictionary and later a draft Kwamba orthography. This work was done in workshops organised by the Kwamba/Lubwisi Development Association (K/LDA) and attended by representatives from all over Bwamba County and Groupement Bhahumu in the DRC. Technical assistance was provided by Dr Lojenga and other SIL colleagues.

In February 2010 two documents were published: Kitabo sa Habhuula Handiika Kwamba (The Kwamba Spelling Guide – Trial Orthography) and Looki̱ sa Kwamba (The Kwamba Alphabet Chart). Subsequently, a team of three Bamba translated the Book of Jonah and the Gospel of Luke into Kwamba with technical assistance from SIL Uganda. These books were published together with a Kwamba Spelling Guide in 2014.