Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, Ph.D

Dr. Lutalo Sam Kiingi, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer

Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, Ph.D.

Senior Lecturer
Linkedin
Email: slutalo-kiingi@kyu.ac.ug Phone: (+256) 772 605 022 (WhatsApp & SMS Only)

Biography: 

Dr. Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Hearing Impairment and Sign Language Interpretation Studies (HI&SLIS) at Kyambogo University, Uganda. He is a distinguished professional in Uganda Sign Language (USL) with a prominent reputation in both Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Lutalo has secured multiple consultancy grants, serving as a linguist consultant, visiting fellow, and postdoctoral fellow at international universities. He holds key editorial positions, including associate review editor and board member for prestigious international journals on Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. His research interests include academic performance in bilingual Deaf education, Deaf/Hearing interpreters, and the documentation of African Sign Languages’ lexicography and health narratives within African Deaf communities.

Dr. Lutalo has a rich professional background in Deaf studies, with over 30 years of practical experience, rising from a Sign Language instructor to a Senior Lecturer in Uganda Sign Language. He has supervised graduate students, conducted extensive consultancies, and published scholarly articles in international journals. His journey is a testament to resilience, overcoming stigma, discrimination, and a lack of disability support services in his early education. He advocates for an inclusive teaching and learning environment and has twice represented persons with disabilities on the Kyambogo University Council. Dr. Lutalo is a proud member of the Uganda National Association for the Deaf (UNAD), where he has been honoured for his significant contributions to strengthening the association’s impact in Uganda.

Current Job Position

  • Senior Lecturer, 2021-Present

Department

  • Hearing Impairment and Sign Language Interpretation Studies (HI&SLIS)
  • Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation, Kyambogo University, Uganda

Academic Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Deaf Studies, University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), International Institute for Sign Languages and Deaf Studies, United Kingdom, 2010 – 2014
  • Master Degree of Philosophy (Transfer) in Deaf Studies, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom, 2008 – 2010
  • Graduate Diploma in Deaf Studies, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom, 2006 – 2008
  • Diploma in Sign Language Instructor, Centre for Sign Language and Sign Supported Communication – KC, Denmark, 2002 – 2006
  • Certificate of Sign Language Teacher, Centre for Sign Language and Sign Supported Communication – KC, Denmark, 1997 – 1998

Additional Responsibilities Held

  • Head, Department of Hearing Impairment and Sign Language Interpretation Studies, 2023 – 2026

Past Work Experience

  • Lecturer, Department of Special Needs Studies, Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation, Kyambogo University, Uganda, 2015 – 2021
  • Sign Language Instructor, Department of Special Needs Studies, Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation, Kyambogo University, Uganda, 2002 – 2015
  • Research Assistant, Danish Deaf Association (DDL) in collaboration with Stockholm University, Sweden, and Uganda National Institute of Special Education (UNISE), Research project on Dictionary of Ugandan Sign Language, 2000 – 2006
  • Regional Sign Language Trainer, Training programme for Deaf Sign Language Instructors and Sign Language Interpreters in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Uganda; Project II, East and Southern Africa hosted by Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD), Kampala, Uganda, 1998 – June 2000
  • Sign Language Instructor, Training Deaf Sign Language Instructors, Parents of Deaf Children, Teachers of Deaf Pupils, Professionals, and Academics coordinated by Uganda National Association for the Deaf (UNAD), Kampala, Uganda, 1994 – 1997

Research Interests

  • Academic performance for bilingualism (Deaf education) of learners who are deaf/hard of hearing in special and inclusive schools
  • Deaf/Hearing interpreters/translators for interpretation services in Uganda and Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Documentation of African Sign Languages’ lexicography, educators, health values of narratives in Uganda/African Deaf communities

Research, Publications, and Conference Papers

Publications

  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S. (2024b). ‘Global perspectives: Our African Deaf Culture and Sign Languages’. Deaf Studies Digital Journal.
  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S., De Clerck, G., Lule, D., & Turner, G. (2024a). ‘Sign Language Interpreter Education in Uganda’. In J. Napier, S. Webb, and R. Adam (Eds.). International Perspectives on Interpreter Education, Edition 2. Washington DC: Gallaudet University Press.
  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S. (2021). ‘Professional Ugandan Sign Language Interpreting Services: Evaluating an Academic Training Programme and Identifying Challenges in Practice’. The British Academy Newsletter, Evaluation: Case Study. London: The British Academy Published. Link
  • De Clerck, G. A. M., & Lutalo-Kiingi, S. (2018). Ethical and methodological responses to risks in fieldwork with deaf Ugandans. Contemporary Social Science, 13(3–4), 372–385. Link
  • De Clerck, G. A. M., Hermann-Shores, P., Jokinen, M., Lutalo-Kiingi, S., Moores, D. F., Pabsch, A., Paul, P. V., & Young, A. (2017). A Dialogue on the Multiple Facets of Sustainability. American Annals of the Deaf, 162(1), 39–46. Link

Book Chapters

  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S., Buyinza, J., De Clerck, A. M. G., & Turner, G. (2022). ‘Challenges in the Professionalization of Sign Language Interpreting in Uganda’. In Stone, C., Adam, R., Müller de Quadros, R., & Rathmann, C. (Eds.). The Routledge Handbook of Sign Language Translation and Interpreting (1st ed.). Routledge. Link
  • De Clerck, G.A.M. & Lutalo-Kiingi, S. (2018). Ethical and methodological responses to risks in fieldwork with deaf Ugandans. In Marks, M., & Abdelhalim, J. (Eds.). Identity, Agency and Fieldwork Methodologies in Risky Environments (1st ed.). Routledge. Link

Conference Papers

  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S. & De Clerck, G. (in press a). ‘The Ugandan deaf community and its history of sign language development: Challenges in the on-going colonialism of African deaf communities’. In B. Carty & S. Lutalo-Kiingi (Eds.). Colonialism in Deaf History. The Proceedings of the 10th Deaf History International Conference (DHI), UTS Function Centre University, 18th – 21st July 2018. Washington DC: Gallaudet University Press.
  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S. (2023b). ‘Global perspectives: Our African Deaf Culture and Sign Languages’. Paper presented at the Black Deaf Studies Symposium, Washington DC, USA, 29th March – 1st April, 2023.
  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S. (2023a). ‘Science, Storytellers, Educators join Hands: Preliteracy Skills and Deaf Children’. Paper presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Conference, Washington DC, USA, 2nd – 5th March 2023 supported by Kyambogo University.
  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S. (2021b). ‘Innovation, Technology and Inclusive Development’. Paper on virtual presentation at the CBR Global Network and CBR Africa Network Dialogues, Kampala, Uganda, 30th November 2021.
  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S. and Wienhoven, E. (2021a). ‘Implementing a toolkit for teaching in low-and-middle-income countries’. Paper on virtual presentation at the 23rd International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED), Brisbane, Australia, 5th – 8th July 2021.

Research Reports Written

  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S. (2014). ‘A Descriptive Grammar of Morphosyntactic Constructions in Ugandan Sign Language’. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom, 2014
  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S. (2010). ‘Reference Grammar of Ugandan Sign Language (USL)’. Master’s Dissertation, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom, 2010
  • Lutalo-Kiingi, S. (2008). ‘The Expression of Possession in Ugandan Sign Language (USL)’. Graduate Diploma in Deaf Studies, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom, 2008

Graduate Research Supervised

  • Akoth Jackie., Reg. No. 17/U/14305/GMSN/PE. Factors influencing the development of Ugandan Sign Language in the learning environment: A case study of Uganda School for the Deaf, Kampala City. Master in Special Needs Education, Kyambogo University, Uganda, Graduated in 2021
  • Keirungi Joy., Reg. No. 17/U/14808/GMSN/PE. Teachers’ perceptions on the use of information and communication technology in the teaching of Deaf learners: A case study of two primary Schools in Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda. Master in Special Needs Education, Kyambogo University, Uganda, Graduated in 2021
  • Busingye Bonnie., Reg. No. 14/U/129111/GMVP/PE. Evaluating teaching and learning processes for the Diploma in Ugandan Sign Language Interpreting programme: A case study of the Department of Special Needs Studies, Kyambogo University. Master in Vocational Pedagogy, Kyambogo University, Uganda, Graduated in 2016

Consultancy Services / Projects Undertaken

  • Linguist Consultant & Coordinator, Translated Audio-Visual materials for Mathematics Primary Four, Term 1, Textbook into Ugandan Sign Language. Funded at $16,925 by UNICEF, 2023 – 2024
  • Linguist Consultant, Ugandan Sign Language Digital video for Persons with Disabilities Act 2020 version. Funded at $13,863 by Expanding Social Protection Programme, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), Uganda, 2022
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Research project on Documentation of Extreme North Cameroon Sign Language, funded at £31,988.69 by Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP), at School of Orient and African Studies (SOAS), University of College, London, England, United Kingdom hosted by Kyambogo University, Uganda, 2018 – 2020
  • Visiting Fellow, Visiting Fellowship Professional Ugandan Sign Language Interpreting Services: Evaluating an academic training programme and identifying challenges in practice Funded at £30,042.00 by the British Academy, 2018 – 2019.

Membership of Corporate, Social, and Professional Bodies

  • Board Member, Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education (JDSDE) African – The Oxford University Press, London and New York, 2023 – 2026
  • Associate Review Editor, Journal of Deafness and Education International Editorial Board (DEI), Africa – The Francis & Taylor, Routledge, London and New York, 2023 – 2026
  • Chairperson, Special Needs Quality Assurance and Monitoring Initiative (SQUAMI) at the Uganda Charity Trustees (URBS), Kampala, Uganda, 2023 – 2025
  • Staff with Disability Representative (2nd Term), Kyambogo University Council, 2020 – 2024

In the Press: