KIFO CHA MBARAKA KILITUMIWA KISIASA?

All Set for 2nd EAC University Students' Debate

East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, 30 August 2013: The 2nd EAC University Students’ Debate on Regional Integration is slated for 2 – 3 September 2013 next week at the at Belmont hotel in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. The Debate whose theme is: “Understanding the Opportunities and Challenges arising from the EAC Integration for Youth in East Africa” aims at promoting continuous dialogue among the youth and to interest them in advocating for regional integration initiatives The debate is expected to  bring together representatives from academia, private sector, civil society, media and technocrats from the East African region who will listen to the debate and make their comments on the strength of the deliberations and make recommendations on the way forward for the debate The Debate involves six participants from each EAC Partner State, drawn from national universities, both public and private and other institutions of higher learning. The participants will choose to be either on the opposition or proposition side. The EAC University Students’ Debate will be moderated by three judges with expertise on the specific area of discussion  on the overall area of EAC and political integration. The two-day function will be capped with a gala dinner, at which the best debaters will be presented with awards and also appointed as EAC Youth Ambassadors 2013/2014 with an obligation to spear head peer to peer learning in their respective universities in collaboration with the EAC Secretariat and EAC Ministries in the Partner States. KIFO CHA MBARAKA KILITUMIWA KISIASA? Katika miaka ya 70 mwishoni kulikuweko na mgogoro mkubwa kati ya Tanzania na Kenya, mgogoro ambao ulifikia hata kufunga mipaka kati ya nchi hizi mbili. Malumbano makali ya kisiasa yaliendelea katika vyombo vya habari vya nchi hizi mbili, na ilifikia kuwa  kila upande ulilaani siasa za nchi nyingine, kati ya malumbano ninayoyakumbuka ambayo yaliyokuwa yakiendelea katika radio ni pale Tanzania ilipoiambia Kenya kuwa ni nchi ya Manyang'au yenye utaratibu wa ‘Man eat man society’, nao Kenya wakajibu Tanzania ni nchi ya ‘Man eat nothing society’. Vibonzo vya magazeti ya Kenya vilijaa picha za kejeli kwa nchi ya Tanzania, na kibonzo kimoja kikionyesha kiongozi wa China Mao Tse Tung akiwa amempakata Mwalimu Nyerere, wakati Mzee Kenyatta akionekana akitoka mbio kali, viliiudhi sana serikali ya Tanzania. Nia ya madhumuni ya habari ninayoandika hapa ni Je, siasa ilihusika katika kutoa maelezo ya kifo cha Mbaraka Mwinyshehe? Katika miaka yote kutokana na maelezo yaliyotolewa na vyombo vya habari vya Tanzania, ilionekana kuwa kama Mbaraka angepewa matibabu aliyostahili angeweza kupona, na kuwa  kilichosababisha kifo chake ni kunyimwa damu kwa kuwa Mbaraka alikosa fedha za kulipia damu katika hospitali aliyokuwemo. Katika chambua chambua zangu nimepata nakala ya maelezo aliyotoa mwanamuziki mmoja Mtanzania aliyeshuhudia ajali na kushiriki hata kuwaita wanamuziki wa Mbaraka kwenda hospitali aliyofia marehemu yananipa picha tofauti na niliyokuwa nayo miaka yote. Zebedee Japhet Kinoka au maarufu kama Super Zex ni mwanamuziki wa siku nyingi sana ambae pamoja na bendi nyingine aliwahi kupigia Amboni Jazz, Salna 5 Brothers za Tanga na Villa Negro iliyokuwa na maskani Mombasa japo iliongozwa na wanamuziki kutoka  Tanga.  Kwa maelezo yake mwenyewe mwazoni mwaka 1979 aliamua kuvuka mpaka na kwenda Mombasa katika kutafuta maisha kimuziki. Siku ya tarehe 12 Januari 1979 alikuwa anatoka maeneo ya Kisauni kumtembelea Mtanzania mwenzake aliyekuwa na hoteli huko,  ambaye pia walitoka kijiji kimoja Malamba  huko Tanga. Anasema alipofika karibu na  Kongoya Church aliona gari aina ya Peugot 404 nyeupe ikitoka upande wa Bush Bar na kwa spidi kali ikaenda na kuligonga roli moja lililokuwa  likitokea  upande mwingine. Ilikuwa mchana kiasi kama saa 7 hivi. Watu wakakimbilia kungalia ajali akiwemo yeye. Na mara moja akamtambua Mbaraka na kuwambia watu kuwa huyo ni mwanamuziki Mtanzania anaitwa Mbaraka Mwinyshehe. Katika gari lile kulikuweko watu watatu Mbaraka alikuwa amekaa mbele pamoja na dereva. Dereva na pasenja aliyekuwa nyuma walikufa palepale, ikalazimika kuanza kukata mabati ili kumuondoa Mbaraka aliyekuwa amebanwa miguu katika gari lile lililoharibika, yeye alikuwa bado hai. Wakati kazi hiyo inaendelea Zebedee alikimbilia Kengeleni Bar ambapo Jamhuri Jazz Band ( Bendi ya Watanzania) ilkuwa ikipiga muziki nakuwambia kuwa mwenzao kaumia sana, nao wakatoka mbio, wakiwemo akina Harrisson Siwale. Mbaraka aliweza kutolewa kwenye gari na kupelekwa kwenye hospitali ya Makadara. Zebedee pia akatumwa kuwafuata wanamuziki wa bendi ya Super Volcano ambao wakati huo walikuwa wakipiga Zambia Bar, wanamuziki walipofika hospitali wakaambia watoe damu na wakaanza kukwepa kutoa damu kwa visingizio mbalimbali. Muda si mrefu Mbaraka Mwinyshehe akafariki. Mbaraka alifarika 12 Januari 1979 akiwa na umri mdogo wa miaka 34 tu. Hakuna maelezo popote ya huyu shahidi kuwa kukosekana kwa pesa ndio kilikuwa sababu ya kifo cha Mbaraka