Mara Yangu ya Kwanza offers readers a glimpse into the life and times of a leader who has served Tanzania in many capacities. With warmth, humour, and honesty, Liundi reveals lesser-known moments of the nation’s history.
Do you remember the first time you did something new? Your first taste of unfamiliar food? Your first day at school? Or the first time you ever saw a car? We all have our first times, and there are many more to come in the future. This is what Mara Yangu ya Kwanza (My First Time), by former Ambassador Christopher C. Liundi, is all about.
Liundi shares his first encounters, from childhood moments with his parents to his leadership roles, diplomatic service, and life after retirement. The book is divided into these three seasons of his life.
In the opening chapter, he recounts the story of his circumcision, a tradition observed by the Makua and Yao people in Tanzania. He describes how he and other boys were taken far from home for the ritual. Every boy trembled at the sound of another’s screams during the procedure. “Endure. You are now a man. Don’t cry,” they were told.
For Liundi, as painful as the experience was, it was necessary. It was during this time that boys were taught how to be men and how to carry themselves with respect. It was also the moment they transformed from boyhood to manhood.
“Those elders ensure that the training covers traditions, customs, proper manners, songs, hunting, woodcraft skills, plants, birds, insects, and animals. Initiation (jando) teaches many valuable lessons. Had I not gone through it, I would have missed learning all of them.”
His memories of initiation also raise a provocative question for today’s society. With the moral decline we often lament, is it worth revisiting some of these traditional teachings to help shape young people, men and women, into better human beings?
Beyond personal rites of passage, Liundi exposes the social realities of his era. The racism and classism he describes may feel distant to many of us today, but they were ever-present in his generation. He recalls his time working at a post office in Dodoma, where Europeans, Indians, and Africans were treated very differently, with Africans the least favoured.
The discrimination went beyond race to salaries and benefits.
“However, the overtime pay for Indians was Sh2.50 per hour. For us, the Swahili, it was Sh1.50. The Europeans received Sh3.00 per hour.”
Great leaders lead with humility, kindness, and a sense of accountability. These are qualities Liundi himself demonstrates and which he saw embodied by the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. Nyerere’s humility shines when he apologises to Liundi after an incident when Liundi was chairman of the Youth League. It is rare to see leaders apologise to their subordinates.
“If there is one thing that has touched me throughout my life, it is the act of Mwalimu apologising to me. I never expected that someone of such stature and authority would apologise to me. That act taught me integrity, humility, and great wisdom.”
Liundi’s leadership style reappeared during his tenure as regional commissioner for Kigoma, where he inspired villagers to work together to grow food for their community. The first time he rallied them, they produced an abundant harvest. But when he returned the following season, the fields were empty. Curious about what had happened, he asked why they had not planted again. To his astonishment, the villagers informed him that they had been waiting for him to return and encourage them as he had done previously.
This story illustrates that effective leadership calls for both wisdom and empathy and the ability to inspire others by understanding what drives them and how they respond. Following this incident, and due to Liundi’s measured response, the villagers began to take responsibility for their community, leaving a lasting impact.
This is a simple, multilayered book with themes that still resonate today. Liundi writes about corruption and the superstitious tendencies that continue to influence our country.
His reflections on death are especially striking. While serving as regional commissioner in various regions, he writes candidly about how unprepared we often are for death and how we rarely speak openly about it. Yet the truth is that none of us will leave this life alive.
“It is important to be spiritually prepared at all times because we do not know when we will leave this world,” he writes.
Mara Yangu ya Kwanza gives readers a glimpse into the history of a leader who has served Tanzania in many capacities. With humour and honesty, Liundi shares bits of history that few people know.
The chapters are short and written in simple language. This makes the book a fast-paced and accessible read. At the end of each chapter, he includes lessons from the story. These lessons ensure readers do not miss the key takeaways.
This is a book for any Tanzanian interested in discovering nuanced pieces of our history and in reflecting on a respected fellow citizen whose life offers wisdom for today.
Jane Shussa is a digital communication specialist with a love for books, coffee, nature, and travel. She can be reached at [email protected].
