Editor, RE: “Experts push for use of mother tongue in early learning” (The New Times, September 9). Learning and speaking your mother tongue fluently boosts your self-worthiness, self-confidence and prevents identity crisis conundrum. Go ahead and please teach our children in our own language. Kinyarwanda is the same as English, Arabic and French. If you do not believe so then a Frenchman or Englishman or an Arab are more human than you. It is absurd that there is no any sub-Saharan head of state who has ever stood in front of United Nations assembly and spoke in his mother tongue. It is absurd that English is lingua franca in East African Community yet Swahili is spoken by the majority in this region. I cannot comprehend why Swahili and other local languages are disappearing in public sphere in Kenya. Do not mention Ugandans and Congolese (with their French)! Please fellow sub-Saharan Africans, there is nothing wrong with your body, your skin colour and your language. Be proud of your heritage and your identity, then you will be respected. Butare
