October 10, 2010
I attended Uganda's independence
anniversary celebrations and had the
opportunity to meet, from left
to right, Uganda's Inspector-General of Police, Maj.Gen. Kale
Kayihura, and fellow invitees to the commemorations, Francois Lumumba,
son of the late Patrice Lumumba, Samwel Muganda, retired officer with
the United Nations, and Mabior de Garang, son of the late John
Garang.
October 11, 2010
I was in Mwanza the next day where
Prof. Ibrahim Lipumba, presidential candidate for the Civic United
Front (CUF) held a campaign meeting and told his
supporters what was
wrong with the ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM),
appealing to his supporters to vote for CUF.
October 13, 2010
Two days later in Musoma, a highly
charged Zitto Kabwe of the Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo(CHADEMA) and its parliamentary candidate for
(CHADEMA) and its candidate for Kigoma
North constituency addressed a meeting with CHADEMA's candidate for
the Musoma Urban constituency, Vincent Nyerere.
October 16, 2010
I attended a funeral in Kinesi, a
village located on the shores of Lake Victoria, east of the regional centre,
Musoma. I noticed some of the mourners seated on a hilltop
overlooking the graveside. When the burial was delayed because the
coffin
could not fit the length of the grave, and as the grave was widened, I
rushed to the hilltop to take this photograph. The bees – or some
unknown entity – did not like it.
As I descended I was chased downhill by
a swarm of bees and had to seek refuge inside a parked car.
October 21, 2010
Mama Maria Nyerere hosted another
guest. This time it was Dr. Gharib Bilal, the running mate of Chama cha Mapinduzi's presidential candidate, Jakaya
Mrisho Kikwete. In the photo, from left to right,
Mama Maria Nyerere, Dr. Bilal, and Member of Parliament for Musoma
Urban constituance, Nimrod Mkono.
After Dr. Bilal's departure, Mama Maria
talked to some of Butiama's residents who had turned up for the
visit. From left to right, Councilor Peter Wanzagi, Butiama village's
chairman Zacharia Wambura, Chief Japhet Wanzagi, and Mwalimu Jack
Nyamwaga.
October 23, 2010
I traveled to Muleba District in Kagera
region in pursuit of campaign news and prior to a meeting that was addressed by the candidate for the Civic United
Front (CUF), Hassan Millanga a traditional dance group entertained
Millanga's potential
voters.
October 25, 2010
Two days later, still in Kagera region,
I traveled to Misenyi District where I received a message on my
mobile phone” “MTN welcomes you to Uganda...” I was about to reach for my passport when my host
pointed to some hills in the distant horizon and told me: “Those
hills are in Uganda.”
These mobile operators! Transgressing
on each other's territory!
October 26, 2010
For yet another occasion I completed
another voyage on MV Victoria between Bukoba and Mwanza on M.V. Victoria a vessel that has been plying the waters of Lake Victoria for more than a century.
October 29, 2010
On the first of the two remaining days of the election campaigns
in Tanzania's general elections, I went to Musoma to find out what the
main contenders for the Musoma Urban race were saying to potential voters in their last
campaign
meetings.
The CCM candidate for Musoma Urban
constituency, Vedasto Mathayo Manyinyi, held his meeting on Uhuru
Street, above...
while CHADEMA's candidate, Vincent
Nyerere, held his meeting near Musoma harbour.
October 30, 2010
A day before the general elections,
CCM's Nimrod Mkono, the sole candidate who sailed through unopposed
in the Musoma Rural constituency, smiled down at passersby from one
of his campaign posters at the junction of the Mwanza-Musoma road,
next to his party's presidential candidate, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, right.
In Musoma, as CCM's supporters rode on
a hired truck to their final campaign meeting of the 2010 general
elections, CHADEMA's supporters walked to theirs.
October 31, 2010
Elections officer, Flora Kamanzi,
applies indelible ink on Dr. Bwire of Butiama hospital, moments after
he cast his vote at the Butiama Hospital voting centre.
