{UAH} Pojim/WBK: ELAU: Bye Tanzania, it was great knowing you! - Opinion/Editorial - thecitizen.co.tz

http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/oped/ELAU--Bye-Tanzania--it-was-great-knowing-you-/-/1840568/2620320/-/yh1vsb/-/index.html

ELAU: Bye Tanzania, it was great knowing you! - Opinion/Editorial

Early in January 2013, I saw a life-changing advert in a leading Ugandan newspaper. It was calling for applications from suitably qualified Ugandans to apply for a Master of Laws scholarship at the University of Dar es Salaam's Tanzanian German Centre for Legal Studies. I applied for the challenging programme and a call came a few months later announcing my admission to the prestigious centre.

Only then did it dawn on me that the next year of my life would be lived in Dar es Salaam. I thought this course would also expose me to either myths or realities that we joked about in our school days. All the way through primary and secondary school, we were told of a famous joke that English was born in Uganda, tortured in Kenya and killed in Tanzania. And Kiswahili was born in Tanzania, tortured in Kenya and killed in Uganda.

In the circumstances, Uganda and Tanzania could lay claim to effective usage of one of the two languages while Kenya appeared to be the highway for the two languages. These jokes led to Tanzania being despised among the young-ish student circles and Tanzanian students were often singled out for ridicule for their poor command of the Queen's language.

Here I was now going to face this joke at its source. I arrived by road (I blame this on the ridiculous airfare then) through Lunga Lunga/Horohoro. It was a gruelling journey, considering the distance from Kampala to Dar es Salaam. I was coming from a biased perspective that since Tanzania and its citizens were self-centered and upheld Kiswahili, the quality of education in Tanzania—especially at primary school level—must be really poor.

I could not fathom how children would be taught in Kiswahili and be expected to turn to English in later years. Worse still, I actually confirmed that everything in Tanzania was about Kiswahili. On campus, for example, everything was marked in Kiswahili. The library was Maktaba and there were other signs such as Utawala and Kituo cha Sheria. I got even more biased.

A few months down the road, I could attempt to construct a fair sentence in Kiswahili with the help of my very good Tanzanian colleagues and the centre staff—to whom I am very grateful—who ensured that we actually could fit in our new domicile. I say fair because the Kiswahili that I grew up speaking in Uganda could not measure up to the Tanzanian version.

With time, I learnt how to demolish Tanzanian dishes using a spoon. A fork is widely used in Uganda, but here I was using a spoon. It was strange at first, but I had to get used to the idea. I remember attending the wedding of some prominent people in Tanzania and enjoyed the proceedings. It was a totally new experience to me and, yes, it was fun.

I continued confronting the myths all through the year. My point of redemption occurred on November 8, 2014, when I sat in the Graduation Hall at Milimani City. I quietly listened in as the choir and fellow graduands enthusiastically sang their hearts out along to the beautiful Tanzanian national anthem. The words Mungu ibariki Afrika sunk into my heart and they remain engraved there. A colleague chose to record that beautiful melody.

This got me thinking and I began to critically question the bias with which I entered the country that had hosted me peacefully for a year. I had a change of heart and became a convert to the Tanzanian system. I reflected on my stay in the country—the good times and the nice people—and concluded that this was the place to be.

I actually loved the Tanzanian spirit, the hospitality, the unity and peace and, most importantly, the humble nature of the Tanzanian people—pardon me if I am wrong!  The Tanzanian people struck me as a happy people for they love their social life, drink (Konyagi) and others. There were so many bars playing either Bongo or Lingala music and I liked visiting them to enjoy Kongoroamong others.

‎The language which I was oriented to despise in my younger years actually turns out to be like a cord that unites the people. As I kept travelling, I liked the fact that you could actually roam the country and be understood the same way. I asked a hostel mate once how this was possible. How did Nyerere pull it off? One key thing that I was told is the fact that Nyerere emphasised that young people mix and study in the different parts of the country and, in doing so, succeeded in uniting previously warring communities and, hence, a united Tanzania.

I then thought about my own country, Uganda, and Kenya. I questioned what went wrong in these two other states. In Uganda did not embrace Kiswahili and it is not spoken widely. Some sections of the country have their own tribal nationalism that denies them the opportunity to learn other languages. When Parliament was discussing the issue of the national language, there were two competing languages—Luganda and Kiswahili—but, to cut the story short, Kiswahili was adopted by the far-sighted Parliament that had the interests of the EAC at heart. I did not see much tribal nationalism in Tanzania as it is in my own country save for occasional references to the Chagga people and their penchant for business and also for having the most beautiful women.

In Kenya, tribalism is so entrenched in the state system that politics and voting is based on tribal lords rather than national politicians because every person views politics through the prism of tribe and as a means to join the high table to eat the fat and spicy pieces. The reason is that the national cake is distributed as per tribe as opposed to capability.

This is one of the reasons I fault the youthful President Uhuru Kenyatta. He lives in the digital era that belongs to the young generation but thinks the analogue way. This is now a popular joke in Kenyan politics. Kiswahili is widely used in Kenya but it has failed to be a cord of unity. Tribe reigns supreme in Kenya.

In Rwanda, President Paul Kagame is doing a great job bringing the country together and instilling a spirit of nationalism. To me, he is closely following the legacy of Nyerere by emphasising nationalism as opposed to tribe.

The question, then, is this: What did the post-independence leaders do wrong and Nyerere got right? This is another discussion for another day but I highly rate Nyerere for creating a united Tanzania.

I arrived in Tanzania a biased young lawyer but left the country having been won over by the hospitality, the humble nature of the people and the unity. This experience gave me hope for a better East Africa. There are so many things we can learn as a people if we learn to confront the myths, fears and mis-orientation with respect to one another. I believe I now understand Tanzania better than I did when I arrived. I hope that, some day, the young generation will be enabled to cross the borders of EAC on exchange visits and studies so as to confront the myths at an early stage and facilitate a better East Africa. The EAC belongs to tomorrow's generation, after all. 

My stay here and constant travel by road enabled me to understand Tanzania better. I used all the four entry points to Tanzania—Horohoro, Namanga, Mutukula and Julius Nyerere International Airport. As a citizen of Uganda and East Africa, I feel privileged to not only have studied and graduated with a Master of Laws specialising in East African Community law but also the fact that I interfaced with the wider EAC. If the majority of people were exposed to East Africa by travelling, they would learn to appreciate and love it. My own views on East Africa were enhanced by my Tanzanian experience.

On a lighter note, there are two things I hated—the daladala conductors for shaking coins annoyingly close to your ears as they sought the fare. I also missed the opportunity to bring a Chagga girl home. Tanzania will be "home" to me for a long time to come and it will always be one of my getaway destinations.

Emmanuel Elau is Advocate of the High Court of Uganda.  emmel182@yahoo.comELAU: Bye Tanzania, it was great knowing you! - Opinion/Editorial - thecitizen.co.tz

http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/oped/ELAU--Bye-Tanzania--it-was-great-knowing-you-/-/1840568/2620320/-/yh1vsb/-/index.html

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