Bible Society Seeks UGX 5B to Complete Rufumbira Translation

The Bible Society of Uganda (BSU) is actively seeking 5 billion shillings to accomplish the vital task of fully translating the Holy Bible into the Rufumbira language. The Rufumbira Bible translation initiative commenced three years ago through the collaborative efforts of religious leaders and dedicated Christians.

The society has successfully translated the New Testament into Rufumbira, a language predominantly spoken in the Muhabura Diocese of Kisoro district. While not disclosing the exact investment made thus far, Peter Lumbuye Serumaga, the Acting Secretary General of BSU, revealed that more than 5 billion Shillings are required to complete the translation of the Old Testament and thereby create a comprehensive Rufumbira Bible. 

Additionally, the society is actively working on producing a Bible for the Batwa, a minority ethnic group in Uganda, with an estimated timeframe of 5-8 years for completion. Among the 43 languages spoken in Uganda, the Bible Society of Uganda has successfully translated the Bible into 20 languages.

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Rt. Rev. Godfrey Mbitse, the Bishop of Muhabura Diocese, expressed the significance of this milestone. Previously, they had been preaching the Gospel using Bibles written in Kinyarwanda, which contains words not found in Rufumbira. 

This accomplishment is expected to encourage more authors to publish works in the Rufumbira language, thereby fostering language and cultural development among the Kitumbura-speaking people.

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The translation of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, is a monumental endeavor, and this effort in Rufumbira is part of a rich history of translating the Holy Scriptures into various languages, a practice that dates back to early Christianity. 

In Uganda, the translation journey began with the Luganda Bible in 1887, which was followed by the New Testament in 1893. In 1896, a complete Bible was published, affectionately known as the "Biscuit Bible." Over time, as Christianity continued to flourish in Uganda, regional languages also saw translations of the Holy Scriptures.