From Butiama and beyond...

2012-01-25T18:40:00.003+03:00

If there is one thing that Tanzanians excel at is to adopt the idioms and sayings from foreign lands. At other times we excel of adopting the practices of other lands. Bodaboda's origin is traced to Uganda where someone one day decided that a motorcycle can also carry passengers. Bobaboda is a motorcycle taxi, now common in every corner of Tanzania. Compared to conventional taxis bodabodas are

2012-01-25T18:40:00.001+03:00

Indian Ocean View

2012-01-15T18:57:00.001+03:00

The view from the Giraffe Ocean View Hotel in Dar es Salaam is a fitting representation of its name. Bongoyo Island is seen in the horizon.

The Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb 2011 (post 6 of 15)

2012-01-13T12:51:00.002+03:00

Tuesday 20 September 2011 This is it! The first day of the climb and, following a surprisingly regular occurrence every year, I was the last one to leave my room, having stayed up working late into the early hours. Again, I was the reason why the truck taking us to the drop-off point made two stops in Moshi town: for rental of additional gear, and for flu medication. At Londrossi Gate

Prof. Sospeter Muhongo's latest CV

2012-01-11T00:16:00.000+03:00

Professor Sospeter Muhongo, a Tanzanian, Officier, Ordre des Palmes Academiques, is a full professor of Geology at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and an Honorary Professor of Geology at the Prof. Sospeter Muhongo, (Officier, Ordre des Palmes Academiques), FGSAf, FAAS, FASI, FASSAf, FGIGE, FTWAS, HonFCAGS, HonFGS, CGeol, EurGeol University of Pretoria, South Africa. He is an

The Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb 2011 (post 5 of 15)

2012-01-08T23:13:00.000+03:00

Monday 19 September 2011 I was one of the first clients in the CRDB branch Bank in Moshi when it opened, having survived Moshi with only four thousand shillings yesterday because of an ATM card that is defective. Jaffar Amin called to inform me of his arrival as I was having breakfast and I picked him up and we headed to the Springlands Hotel. I told him I was relieved he had managed to join

Candles

2012-01-06T01:23:00.000+03:00

The long periods without power last year were unprecedented. For a while, each time my room was plunged into darkness I lit a candle and, on a few occasions, I photographed the only beacon of light that illuminated my bedroom. TANESCO, the Tanzanian electric utility company, was under constant criticism from consumers - sometimes unfairly - for failing to deliver. I credit TANESCO for

Jim Becket is the senior member of the Kilimanjaro Club

2012-01-05T21:10:00.000+03:00

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb. Jim Beck is the elder member of the Kilimanjaro Club. When I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with him and a group of other climbers from the United States, Uganda, Switzerland, Kenya, and Tanzania in September 2011 he revealed

The Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb 2011 (post 4 of 15)

2012-01-04T18:26:00.003+03:00

Saturday 17 September 2011 I stayed up late typing on my until 06:45 A.M. and then tried, without success, to sleep. I boarded the afternoon flight from Mwanza to the Kilimanjaro International (KIA) Airport and arrived in Moshi in the late afternoon. Jaffar Amin sent a message to inform me he was on the 09:00 A.M. Kampala Coach bus to Moshi via Nairobi to join this year's Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt.

The Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb 2011 (post 3 of 15)

2011-12-30T09:51:00.001+03:00

Friday 16 September 2011 I woke up at 4:25 AM and was out of the hotel at 05:05 AM. I walked with my backpack and a heavy load of my mountain gear packed in one of those large polythene shopping bags that scare taxi drivers away. I was told I should have been at Lamadi at 07:30 AM. I was there before six and met the same two characters who promised to arrange a ride for me through the

Steve Kamau conquers Mt. Kilimanjaro and becomes a member of the Kilimanjaro Club

2011-12-28T22:20:00.000+03:00

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb. Steve Kamau normally books Kilimanjaro climbs for visitors. He works for Zara Tanzania Adventures the company that has organized all my climbs. It was while I was sitting with him discussing details of one of the

Another member of the Kilimanjaro Club, William Rutta

2011-12-27T13:25:00.000+03:00

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb. Ever since he joined me for the annual Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb in 2010, William Rutta has shown keen interest to return to Mt. Kilimanjaro for another challenge. William Rutta at Uhuru Peak. He is

Christmas choir at Butiama

2011-12-25T21:19:00.002+03:00

Choir members of the Catholic Church Butiama singing during Christmas Mass at the church today. morning. The mass was led by the parish priest, Fr. Mathias Brown.

Mary Kalikawe, member, Kilimanjaro Club

2011-12-24T15:32:00.000+03:00

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb. Mary Kalikawe joined me on my third annual Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb in December 2010. She reached the summit on a day that had considerable snowfall. Mary Kalikawe is the Managing Director

Baraka Elias: The tallest Tanzanian?

2011-12-23T15:56:00.002+03:00

Baraka Elias is 7' 4" tall. And he is only 22. He recently almost literally caused a certain pain in someone's neck when he visited a pavilion where Kilimanjaro Club member Notburga Maskini was disseminating information on the Prime Minister's Office - Regional Administration & Local Government services. Notburga Maskini, left, strained her neck to speak to Baraka Elias, right. In a telephone

Jaffar Amin is also in the Kilimanjaro Club

2011-12-23T09:06:00.001+03:00

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb. I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with Jaffar Amin in December 2010. Our guides were Yahoo, Solomon and Ludovick. During the 2010 climb, the team's cook, Pantaleo, poses with Jaffar Amin, seated, at Karanga Camp at 3,963m

Alex Nyirenda remembered

2011-12-20T22:41:00.001+03:00

It is the third death anniversary today of Brig. Alex Gwebe Nyirenda. I pay special tribute to this illustrious Tanzanian who at the eve of Tanzania's independence climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and placed the Uhuru Torch at the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro on 9 December 1961. Uhuru Peak at the top left point of the photograph, as seen from Crater Camp A few years ago, when I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro for

Le Huyn should have been the first member of the Kilimanjaro Club

2011-12-20T13:57:00.000+03:00

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb. I overlooked inducting Le Huyn into the membership roll. He accompanied me on my first climb in 2008. He is an experienced climber, having reached Mt. Everest's base camp, climbed Mt. Kenya, and Mt. Meru (Tanzania).

The Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb 2011 (post 3 of 15)

2011-12-19T18:52:00.001+03:00

This is a continuation of the posts from my September 2011 climb of Mt.Kilimanjaro. Friday 16 September 2011 I woke up at 0425hrs and was out of the hotel at 0505hrs. I walked to the bus stop with my backpack and a heavy load of my Kilimanjaro gear stashed in one of those large polythene bags that scare taxi drivers away from me. I was told I should be at Lamadi before 0730hrs to hitch a ride

The Kilimanjaro Uhuru Climb

2011-12-10T16:07:00.001+03:00

We have just completed registration at Londrossi Gate for the Mt. Kilimanjaro Uhuru Climb, 4 - 10 December. The temperature at Londrossi is 27° Celcius.

The Mt. Kilimanjaro Uhuru climb kicks off

2011-12-04T10:49:00.001+03:00

A repoter from Star TV, right, interviews Majira newspaper's managing editor, Imma Mbuguni, minutes before the commencement of the Uhuru Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb. The climb has been organized jointly by Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) and Zara Tanzania Adventures. I have been honoured by TTB as the leader of this climb to mark 50 years of the independence of Tanzania mainland. We plan to be at the

My version of the year 2010 in review - December

2011-11-01T01:34:00.000+03:00

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } December 7, 2010 A day before my annual charity event, the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb, I held a press conference in Moshi to publiscize the event and, through the publicity, solicit donations from the general public. At the press conference I, second left, was joined by Mary Kalikawe of Kiroyera Tours, Jaffar Amin, and William Rutta of

My version of the year 2010 in review - November

2011-10-29T01:42:00.000+03:00

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } November 1, 2010 In the early hours of the first day of the month, at 06:24 AM, CHADEMA's candidate in the Musoma Urban parliamentary, Vincent Nyerere, race took to the podium and and thanked his supporters after the returning officer announced he had won the parliamentary race and had become the new MP for Musoma Urban. Less than an hour later a mob

Mt. Kilimanjaro weather

2011-10-27T14:48:00.000+03:00

There is a combination of light showers and fog at Butiama today, reminiscent of the weather on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

2011-10-27T01:51:00.000+03:00

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } 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