Face-to-face
Haya interpreters on site for appointments, hearings and meetings.
African languages
Haya interpreting and translation
Haya is a Bantu language of the Kagera Region in north-western Tanzania, on the western shore of Lake Victoria. SILA Linguists® arranges Haya interpreters and translators under any of the names the language is known by, including Oruhaya, Luhaya and Kihaya.
In its own words
Oruhaya
- Script
- Latin
- Direction
- Left to right
- ISO 639-3
hay
Haya is spoken around Bukoba, Muleba, Karagwe and the surrounding districts of Kagera. It belongs to the Great Lakes group of Bantu languages, and its nearest relatives are the languages of south-western Uganda, such as Runyankore and Rutooro, as well as Nyambo just to the west. Speakers of these languages often find each other partly understandable, but they are distinct languages with their own vocabulary and sound systems.
The many names for Haya come from the way Bantu languages attach prefixes to a root. Speakers themselves say Oruhaya or Oluhaya; Kihaya is the Swahili form of the name; Luhaya and Ruhaya are shortened versions. Ziba, an older name for the people and area, also appears in historical sources. All of these refer to the same language, and requests under any of them are treated as one.
Haya is written in the Latin alphabet. There is a Bible translation and a modest body of printed material, but most official and educational writing in Kagera is in Swahili and English.
- Main areas: Tanzania (Kagera)
- Other regions
Communities abroad are not shown. Point to an area to see its name.
How we help
Haya services
Video (VRI)
Secure video interpreting when people are in different places.
Telephone, 24/7
Telephone interpreting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Certified translation
Certified Haya translation accepted by UK authorities.
SILA Linguists®
Haya (Oruhaya) interpreting and translation services from SILA Linguists®
Haya, which its speakers call Oruhaya or Oluhaya and Swahili speakers call Kihaya, is spoken around Bukoba, Muleba, Karagwe and the surrounding districts of Tanzania's Kagera region, on the western shore of Lake Victoria. Its closest relatives, Runyankore, Rutooro and Nyambo, are partly understandable to Haya speakers but remain distinct languages. SILA Linguists® provides Haya interpreters, translators and transcribers for immigration, health, social care and legal work across Britain, North America, Australia, New Zealand and further afield.
Haya interpreters for detailed and sensitive conversations
Most Haya speakers are fluent in Swahili, and for a routine appointment a Swahili interpreter may be perfectly suitable. We ask your client what they prefer. Older and rural speakers, and people describing trauma, illness or family history, usually express themselves more precisely in Haya, so we recommend a first-language interpreter for asylum interviews, mental health assessments and court evidence. We do not substitute a Runyankore or Rutooro speaker for a Haya interpreter.
Telephone and video both work well for Haya. Our telephone line is staffed at every hour, all year, and video sessions run on the SILA Linguists® app or your own platform. In-person interpreting is arranged for court hearings, maternity appointments, social care reviews and solicitor meetings where a suitable interpreter can attend, and you can request a female interpreter for maternity care or other personal matters.
Translation of Haya and Tanzanian documents
Written Haya uses standard Latin letters, so no special fonts are needed, but spelling varies between writers, and our translators keep one convention throughout a document. We translate personal statements, letters, health information and community materials, both into Haya and from Haya into English.
Birth certificates, school records and other official documents from Tanzania are usually in Swahili or English. We check the language of each source before certification, then provide a certified translation with a signed accuracy statement, accepted by tribunals, colleges, the Home Office and other UK authorities.
Haya transcription and language analysis
Our transcribers produce time-stamped Haya transcripts with English translation for interviews, recorded evidence and research, labelling passages in Swahili or English. For asylum casework, SILA Linguists® can also arrange language analysis for the determination of origin (LADO) through specialist analysts familiar with the Great Lakes languages.
Where our Haya linguists work
Our vetted, trained and qualified Haya linguists can support asylum and immigration casework teams, hospitals and maternity services, community and social care providers, legal advisers and courts, as well as charities and researchers working with communities around Lake Victoria and the Kagera region. You deal with one project team, and every file is protected by confidentiality agreements and UK GDPR.
Good to know
Working with Haya
Interpreting
- Most Haya speakers are also fluent in Swahili, Tanzania's national language. For routine matters a Swahili interpreter may be suitable, but ask the client which language they prefer for detailed or sensitive conversations.
- Older and rural speakers, and people discussing trauma or health, often express themselves more precisely in Haya, so a first-language interpreter is recommended for asylum interviews, mental health assessments and court evidence.
- Telephone and video interpreting both work well for Haya.
Translation
- Written Haya uses standard Latin letters, so font support is straightforward. Spelling conventions vary between writers, which a translator should keep consistent within a document.
- Official documents from Tanzania, such as birth certificates and school records, are usually issued in Swahili or English rather than Haya. Check the language of the source before ordering a certified translation.
Related languages
Haya and its neighbours
Choose a language to see its page. Getting the right variety matters: tell us the region or dialect if you know it.
Where Haya is often needed
- Asylum and immigration casework
- Health and maternity appointments
- Community and social care
- Legal advice and court hearings
Explore more african languages or see all languages A to Z.
Get in touch
Need a Haya interpreter or translator?
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.