By: Murtala Mohamed Kamara
I have followed this debate keenly on the English language. Sierra Leone is not the only country colonised by the British. I have said it many times that some of the worst atrocities of slavery occurred here. The enslavement of the mind is the worst form of slavery. Today, we have abandoned so much of what is local, from our languages to our culture and traditions.
Anything local is often considered inferior, while anything foreign is regarded as superior. We punish our children for speaking Krio or vernacular. In offices, when you hold a discussion in Krio, some people see you as less intelligent. Our way of life is still the British way. Some of our major settlements are still named after foreign places: Kent, Aberdeen, Waterloo, Gloucester, Leicester, York, Regent, etc. It is time we challenged this mindset.
Britain colonised 18 other countries in Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and The Gambia. Yet, these countries have found ways to embrace their own languages and cultures. In East Africa, Swahili has become a powerful tool for national unity and communication. A Kenyan friend once told me that you can meet highly educated people in Kenya who cannot speak English. Newspapers, radio stations and television programmes use Swahili extensively.
Look at neighbouring South Africa, where the Zulu language and culture have gained international recognition, including through film and television productions. India has similarly exported its languages and culture to the world through Bollywood, largely using local languages. These countries understand that promoting their languages does not mean rejecting English or the rest of the world. It is a matter of national pride.
That is why some world leaders address the United Nations General Assembly in their own languages. Chinese, Iranian, Saudi Arabian and Russian leaders, among others, often choose their national languages even when they can speak English. They understand that a country’s language is part of its identity and sovereignty.
Sierra Leone has a language that connects people across ethnic, regional and social boundaries: Krio. From Freetown to Bo, Kenema, Makeni and beyond, Krio remains one of today strongest symbols of our shared national identity.
Yet English continues to dominate many formal settings. While English is important for international business, diplomacy, higher education and global opportunities, we must stop confusing proficiency in English with intelligence, professionalism or social status.
A person can be highly intelligent, knowledgeable and capable without speaking fluent English. We should encourage our children to learn English while teaching them that speaking Krio confidently is not a weakness or a source of shame.
I may not agree with everything Information Minister Chernoh Bah has done, but his deliberate effort to decolonise our official communication deserves recognition. The use of Krio at official government press briefings is a welcome move towards making governance more accessible to ordinary Sierra Leoneans. I also expected President Julius Maada Bio’s address at the recently concluded peace conference to be delivered in Krio, alongside any other languages necessary for the occasion.
Tanzania’s experience with Swahili and India’s success in exporting its culture demonstrate that national languages can strengthen unity and international visibility. Sierra Leone can learn from these examples without blindly copying their policies.
We can use Krio more extensively in public education, civic awareness, tourism promotion, Government announcements, radio, television and digital platforms. Schools can explore its strategic use to explain difficult concepts where appropriate, while strengthening English literacy and preserving our other indigenous languages.
We should also invest in developing Krio educational materials, expanding its vocabulary for science and technology, and exploring its use in digital innovation and artificial intelligence.
This is not a call to abandon English. It is a call to end the mentality that makes us believe we must sound foreign to be considered educated or progressive.
Sierra Leone does not have to choose between embracing Krio and engaging with the world. We can do both.
A nation that respects its own language respects its own people. It is time we stopped treating our identity as inferior and started embracing Krio with the pride, dignity and confidence it deserves.