When our leaders fail to hear from us and effect the much needed
change that will better the lots of all and sundry, consulting the
dead to intervene is not that bad an idea. On the behalf of the
millions of Tanzanians, I was at the mortuary and I got a message for us all.

Except for those that work there, most of the living individuals I met would have loved, if possible, not to be there. I saw husbands, wives, children, friends, relatives, colleagues, associates and contemporaries who were there to embalm or collect the embalmed bodies of their loved ones. While the general atmosphere was sober, silent and spiritual, there were however few exceptions.

I saw some relatives who were rather undeterred by their losses or had not faced the fact that their loved one had departed. They were chit chatting and laughing ecstatically, which made me develop interest in them.

On privy knowledge, I was made to know that they were at the morgue to embalm their aged mum who kicked the bucket at a tender age of 94. I subsequently pondered on a certain issue which is: at what age is death acceptable or desirable as the case might be?

I almost accepted the notion that old age makes death acceptable until I saw, a room away, an able- bodied man crying inconsably over the death of his granny at 90.

My attention was also drawn to the morgue staff who went about their daily responsibilities without much remorse. To them, they were just doing their jobs. And they were highly meticulous at it.
From the selection of the right volume of embalming fluid through the arrangement of the bodies in the various compartments to the final preparation of the bodies for burial, they were so good at their job or service as I was made to know by alfa.

Alfa is a middle aged man of average body size who has been an
embalmer since time imemorial. He said he has seen a lot while on his job. He developed interest in the job after an experience he had at a friend’s burial.

He said the friend’s body was not well prepared and signs of
decomposition could be seen. He later developed a passion for
embalment, a profession that daily shows him, and others like him, the vanity of most human pursuits. He said every material acquisition quests are worthless after death, the only priceless thing being a good name.

Talking of the dead, they are also like university students as they
can be classified as both freshers and stalites. While the ‘freshers’
are the new ones, the ‘stalites’ are old timers who have stayed on ice for long.

The morgue is a place where there are no disparities or preferential
treatments as each body is handled in similar fashion. In essence,
except you know the departed, you can’t tell if the dead was rich,
influential or powerful when alive. All were given same treatment. No siren blarring, no security stampede and money show offs that are signatory of power and influence among the living. The stupidity of the living human race.

I also tried to know what goes on in the minds of the dead. I think I got close by a faint experience that I had sometime ago.
Everything went blank as I couldn’t remember anything that happened.

If this is true for the dead, then our individual pursuits and
collective prioritizations are all wrong. No wonder The Preacher in
the Bible was so vehement on our human affairs before crossing the living line.

While talking of death might sound scary and socially out of place,
knowing what goes on after death isn’t a bad idea either.

As individuals, we need to start setting our goals right. More efforts should be channeled toward good causes that would benefit humanity and glorify God. We also need to start thinking of what name we want to leave behind because that’s the only thing that remains our’s after demise.

Politicians and leaders should know that although power intoxicates
and makes one feel invincible, and immune, death can dissolve all
powers and false invincibilities in the split of a second and put
their owners face-to-face with the members of the society who died as a result of their activities (and inactivities).

The poor should also know that inspite of their evident limitations,
they will also end up like the rich ones hence should not see their
social and financial status as excuses for not being useful to the
world. And no matter how simple and little their contributions might
be, it could have positive impact on someone.

We the youths also need to know that life is not all about
exuberances, indulgences and social vices, but about applying one’s energies and resources to the betterment, and not embitterment, of all and sundry.

Like alfa, the mortician, said in his remarks, his job makes him
appreciate life and the power, the talents, the gifts and the
opportunities God has given to each and everyone of us while He (God) patiently looks at what we do with them, because the decision is ours to make.

Kwenye Uchaguzi Mkuu ujao, kama nitajaliwa na nikapata bahati ya kuchaguliwa tena, nitahakikisha kuwa naubadilisha uongozi wa Tanzania kwa kuufanya uongozi wa vijana zaidi. Wale viongozi wa rika langu lazima waanze kuwaachia nafasi vijana – Rais Kikwete

Ukiyasoma maneno hayo ya Rais Kikwete siku chache zilizopita unaweza kuamini kuwa tatizo la Tanzania kwa sasa katika uongozi ni umri wa viongozi wetu. Na kama ni mtu ambaye hufuatilii yale yanayoendelea katika ulimwengu wetu wa kisiasa unaweza kudhania (japo kwa makosa) kuwa tatizo la wale wanaotuongoza ni rika lao la umri na hivyo tukibadilisha tu viongozi wetu toka rika moja kwenda rika jingine basi tutakuwa tumetatua tatizo letu ambalo kwa sasa linaonekana ni la kudumu la uongozi.

Ndugu zangu, tatizo letu kama taifa linapokuja suala la uongozi siyo umri. Mtu mwingine atakuja na kutuambia kuwa tatizo letu ni usomi; kwamba tungelikuwa na viongozi waliosoma sana basi uongozi wetu ungekuwa mzuri kiasi ambacho tunatarajia au kuombea. Na mtu mwingine anaweza kutuambia kuwa tatizo letu katika uongozi ni uzoefu; na hata mtu mwingine anaweza kuja na kutuambia kuwa tatizo letu katika uongozi kama taifa ni watu kutokuwa na imani n.k
Haya yote ambayo yanatajwa na kuzungumzwa kama matatizo katika uongozi wetu yaweza kuwa na ukweli wa aina fulani na yanaweza kubeba siri fulani ya kushughulikia hali ya uongozi wetu. Hata hivyo ninaamini kabisa kuwa tukiyaangalia haya yote tunaweza kukosa kuangalia hasa kile kinachotusumbua katika uongozi wa taifa letu; siyo katika siasa tu bali pia katika uongozi wetu wa sekta na maeneo mbalimbali ya jamii yetu.

Nimeshaigusia hii mada ya uongozi mara kadhaa huko nyuma na kwa vile inaonekana somo hili bado ni gumu watu kulimudu kiasi kwamba rais wetu naye ameingia kwenye mtego wa kuamini nadharia ya uongo basi naitwa tena na historia kugusia tena dhana ya uongozi na kiini cha mgogoro wa uongozi (leadership crisis) ambayo tunayo katika taifa letu.

Tunashuhudia dalili za tatizo
Tukiangalia mlolongo wa matukio mbalimbali hasa ndani ya miaka hii 20 hivi iliyopita kitu kimoja kinachopiga kelele kama ngurumo ya radi na kutumulika kama mwangaza wa mlipuko wa nyota ni “uongozi”. Kuanzia matukio ya uuzaji wa dhahabu yetu kinyemela, uuzwaji wa mbuga zetu kwa wageni na hatimaye ukaribishaji wa matapeli wa kimataifa ambao wengine wamejipa majina ya “wawekezaji” tunaweza kuona kuzembea kwa safu ya uongozi wa taifa letu kiasi cha kutufanya tujisikie aibu na soni isiyokoma.

Wizi wa mabilioni toka Benki Kuu, na kuingiwa kwa mikataba mibovu kuliko ile waliyoingia mababu zetu mbele ya wamisionari, wavumbuzi na wafanyabiashara wa kikoloni ambao walikuwa ni wafalme wa makuwadi wa ukoloni unatuthibitishia jambo dhahiri kuwa elimu, umri, uzoefu (yaani muda mrefu wa kazi) siyo hasa tatizo tulilonalo. Haya yote tunayoyalalamikia leo hii yanatuimbia kuwa tuna tatizo katika uongozi na kwa hakika siyo elimu, umri, wala uzoefu ndiyo chanzo chake!

Uongozi ni zaidi ya hayo
Ndugu zangu, ukiangalia mazingira ambayo watu wetu wanaishi, ukiangalia utendaji katika maeneo mbalimbali na ukiangalia maamuzi ambayo yanachukuliwa katika nafasi mbalimbali kuanzia katika kijiji hadi kwenye lile “jumba jeupe la kale” pale magogoni unaweza kuona kuwa kuna tatizo kwa viongozi wetu.

Tatizo siyo elimu!
Nimesema hapo juu kuwa tatizo letu siyo elimu ya viongozi wetu kwani tunao wasomi wengi sana kwenye fani ya uongozi wetu ambao wana shahada za kwanza, za uzamili, za uzamivu na wengine wanazo hata za ubadhirifu! Kama ni elimu tu wapo wengi ambao wamesoma na walioandika kila aina ya hoja zao na kuzitetea na kufaulu huku wakipambwa! Mambo ambayo Waingereza, Wamarekani, Wajerumani na hata Wajapani wanajifunza watu wetu wanafunzwa vile vile na wengine wanafanya vizuri na “kupasua” kuliko watu wa mataifa hayo!

Ukienda kwenye baadhi ya vyuo ambavyo “wasomi wetu, viongoz” wamepitia huko majuu utashangaa sifa wanazomwagiwa kwa jinsi walivyofanya vizuri darasani. Wapo waliofaulu wakiwa na cum laude na wengine wakiwa na magna cum laude na hata wengine kupewa nafasi za kutoa hotuba za siku zao za kuhitimu kwa niaba ya wanafunzi wenzao wa “kizungu”!

Nitoe mifano michache tu hapa; Andrew Chenge ni msomi aliyesomea huko Harvard Marekani miongoni mwa vyuo vyenye sifa za juu zaidi (kama siyo chenye sifa ya juu zaidi) huko Marekani; Nazir Karamagi amesoma Chuo kile kile alichosomea baba wa Taifa kule Uingereza cha Edinburg; Lawrence Masha ni msomi wa Chuo Kikuu cha Georgetown, huko Marekani; na wengine wengi waliosoma katika vyuo vyetu mbalimbali na hasa waliosoma Mlimani na kuhitimu katika umahiri wa fani mbalimbali!

Hawa wote ni watu ambao wana elimu na kwa kipimo chochote kile hatuwezi kusema kuwa hawakusoma. Karibu idara, ofisi na sehemu zetu mbalimbali zinaendeshwa na watu ambao wengi wao wamesoma chini ya Tanzania huru na hawana kile kisingizio cha “elimu ya mkoloni”. Hawa ndio waliosoma tukiwa na matumaini ya kuwa wamepata mwanga wa uzalendo! Lakini, tukipima matokeo ya elimu yao tunaona kikomo chao.

Tukiwauliza hata hivyo watunyambulishie tatizo letu wataandika kwa lugha za kitaalamu na elimu siyo tatizo letu hata kidogo kwani tunawasomi wanaoshindana na wasomi wa mahali popote duniani.

Tatizo siyo uzoefu;
Mara nyingi tunapozungumza uzoefu tunazungumzia muda mrefu kazini. Tunaamini (kwa usahihi) kuwa muda mrefu katika kazi fulani hujenga uzoefu na umahiri wa aina fulani na humuandaa mtu kwa matatizo ya aina mbalimbali. Kuna vitu mtu anaweza kufundishwa shuleni au chuoni lakini uzoefu hupatikana kwa kupita kwa muda na kwa kujifunza katika mazingira ya kazi. Katika hili unaweza kuona msomi wa darasani na msomi wa kazini. Mzee ambaye hajaenda chuoni kabisa anaweza kukabiliana na tatizo fulani la kiufundi kwa namna ambayo msomi wa kitabuni itabidi aite wawekezaji kuja kumsaidia.

Inakuwaje hata hivyo kama mtu mwenye uzoefu ni yule mwenye uzoefu wa kufanya kitu kibovu kwa muda mrefu? Inakuwaje kama uzoefu ambao mtu anao unatokana na uzoefu wa kuvunja sheria, taratibu na mfumo bora wa utendaji kazi kiasi kwamba mtu anajua kufanya kazi yake kwa njia mbovu kwa muda mrefu zaidi? Je, huyu tukimpa nafasi sehemu nyingine kwa kuangalia “uzoefu” tunafikiria huko anakokwenda ataanza kufanya vitu kwa namna bora zaidi kwa sababu ya uzoefu wake? Je mwenye uzoefu wa ufisadi tunatarajia tukimpa nafasi mpya atakuwa mwadilifu?

Uzoefu peke yake hautoshi hadi uwe ni uzoefu wa kufuata sheria, taratibu na kufanya mambo kwa namna bora zaidi na kwa njia bora na yenye tija na ambayo hupimwa kwa matokeo bora zaidi. Nje ya hapo ni kufulia kiuongozi.

Tatizo siyo uzee na suluhisho siyo ujana!
Hapa ndipo napingana kwa asilimia 101 na Rais Kikwete. Tatizo la uongozi wa Tanzania sasa haliko kwenye umri wa wale wanaotuongoza. Na suluhisho lakesiyo kuwaondoa wazee na kutujazia vijana kwenye nafasi mbalimbali. Kama Rais Kikwete halipendi taifa letu na hatutakii mema kuanzia 2010 basi atujazie vijana kwenye nafasi za uongozi. Na katika hili hatuna shaka ni vijana wa aina gani atatuletea.

Watakuwa ni vijana kwa mfano wa kina Lawrence Masha, Emmanuel Nchimbi, William Ngeleja, Hussein Mwinyi, na wengineo! Na kama hawa ndio mfano wenyewe ambao Kikwete ameshatupatia basi tutafanya makosa hata kwa kumchagua yeye mwenyewe. Kama suluhisho ndio mfano wa “vijana” hawa basi tumekwisha. Kwani hawa vijana hadi hivi sasa wameonesha ni mfano gani wa kutatua matatizo yetu kwa sababu ya huo ujana wao? Katika maeneo yao ya kazi wamefanya nini kutuonesha uongozi hata wa kuonewa wivu? Si hawa ndio wanasimamia wizara nyeti za taifa hili? Mnafikiri kweli Rais Kikwete atateua watu tofauti na hawa? Kama ujana tu ndio suluhisho basi awajaze vijana kuanzia Ikulu (si tayari anao wengine pale wanaoumbua uongozi wake kila siku?)

Tatizo ni nini basi?
Ndugu zangu, tatizo tulilonalo katika uongozi wetu siyo ujana, elimu wala uzoefu; na tatizo letu siyo fedha au raslimali; tatizo letu ni uwezo

—
Yona Fares Maro
I.T. Specialist and Digital Security Consultant