A 5 billion shilling project is being vigorously pursued by the Bible Society of Uganda (BSU) in order to complete the translation of the entire Bible into the Rufumbira language.
Religious leaders and committed Christians worked together to launch the Rufumbira Bible translation project three years ago.
The Muhabura Diocese in Kisoro district speaks Rufumbira, which the society has successfully translated the New Testament into.
Acting Secretary General of BSU Peter Lumbuye Serumaga disclosed that the total amount needed to finish the Old Testament translation and produce a complete Rufumbira Bible is over 5 billion Shillings, but he did not disclose the precise amount invested up to this point.
In addition, the organisation is actively engaged in constructing a Bible, which should be finished in 5-8 years, for the Batwa, a minority ethnic community in Uganda.
The Bible Society of Uganda has translated the Bible into twenty of the 43 languages that are spoken in the country.
The Muhabura Diocese’s bishop, Rt. Rev. Godfrey Mbitse, highlighted the importance of this achievement.
They had previously been preaching the gospel from Bibles written in Kinyarwanda, which had vocabulary distinct from Rufumbira.
It is anticipated that this achievement will inspire further writers to release works in the Rufumbira language, supporting the linguistic and cultural advancement of the Kitumbura-speaking community.
The Bible translation project in Rufumbira is a part of a long tradition of translating the Holy Scriptures into many languages, a process that stretches back to early Christianity.
The translation of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is a huge undertaking.
The Luganda Bible was the first translation to be completed in Uganda in 1887, and the New Testament was added in 1893.
An entire Bible—fondly referred to as the “Biscuit Bible”—was released in 1896. The Holy Scriptures were eventually translated into regional languages as Christianity spread throughout Uganda.