Kakwa interpreting and translation

Kakwa interpreters who share the client's points of reference

Second languages depend on the country. South Sudanese Kakwa speakers commonly use Juba Arabic and English, Ugandan speakers English, Swahili or Lugbara, and Congolese speakers Swahili, Lingala or French. Knowing where a person grew up helps us choose an interpreter who shares their points of reference. Bari, Kuku, Mundari, Pojulu and Nyangwara are related, and speakers often understand each other to a fair degree, but differences in vocabulary and pronunciation make a Kakwa interpreter the right choice for formal work.

Displacement from the Yei area in recent years has brought many Kakwa families into West Nile settlements and onward to other countries. Our interpreters hear accounts of loss, separated children and long journeys, and interpret them in full and without comment. Telephone and video are both practical: phone interpreting is available at every hour, and video runs through the SILA Linguists® app or the system you use. Relay through Juba Arabic, Swahili or English is available at the client's request, and we assign an interpreter of the preferred gender on request.

Kakwa translation and certified records from three countries

Kakwa is written in the Latin alphabet, with a Bible translation and church and school materials in use. We prepare Kakwa versions of health information, child protection leaflets, school letters and family reunion guidance, and translate letters and statements into English.

Official papers are usually in English for South Sudan and Uganda and in French for the DRC. We certify translations of French documents with a signed statement of accuracy, accepted by employers, tribunals and other UK authorities, keeping Kakwa names consistent across papers from different countries.

Transcription and LADO

Family reunion interviews, testimony and voice messages in Kakwa are transcribed with time references and an English rendering. Because nationality can be unclear for a community spanning three borders, SILA Linguists® offers language analysis to establish origin (LADO).

Where we can help in Kakwa

Our vetted, trained and qualified Kakwa linguists can support refugee and asylum services, family reunion caseworkers, child protection teams, schools, healthcare providers and humanitarian programmes in Uganda and South Sudan. One coordinator, vetted linguists and confidentiality under NDAs and UK GDPR support every case.