Lowassa hailed as Dar residents pay last respects

Dar es Salaam. Former and current leaders paid tribute to former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa yesterday before his scheduled burial, describing his bravery and patience.

While being hospitalised at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), Mr Lowassa passed away on Saturday.

Vice President Philip Mpango led the leaders during a ceremony to pay final respects at the Karimjee Grounds in Dar es Salaam.

Some of those who spoke include former Premier Joseph Warioba, who exposed the frustrations of the late Lowassa, describing him as a patient leader who remained strong even after passing through difficult moments.

Mr Lowassa was Tanzania’s Prime Minister from 2005 to 2008, when he resigned after a select parliamentary committee implicated him in the Richmond scandal.

His first presidential bid flopped in 1995 after the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi’s (CCM) central committee removed his name from the list.

In 2005, he supported the nomination of Jakaya Kikwete, went ahead to win presidential elections and was subsequently appointed Lowassa Prime Minister.

Mr Warioba said his resignation in 2008 and the failure of Lowasa’s presidential bid in 1995 were two big moments that defined him as a patient and strong man.

“When I heard Lowassa complaining that the committee concluded its report without giving him a chance to respond, I promptly issued a statement expressing my disapproval if that was the case. He came to see me, and I told him that it appeared to be a political matter that compelled his resignation, given the committee’s failure to hear his side,” said Mr Warioba.

Mr Warioba mentioned that Mr Lowassa was deeply troubled by the decision of the CCM Central Committee to remove him from the list of presidential aspirants, particularly upon realising the involvement of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere in that decision.

“We discussed the matter, during which I advised him to reach out to Mwalimu Mwalimu Nyerere. Upon contacting Nyerere, we talked it over and found mutual understanding, and Lowassa remained steadfast, refusing to give up on his presidential ambitions,” he said.

Mr Warioba also remembered Mr Lowassa’s courage to introduce secondary school in every ward, leading to the current state of secondary education.

The former Prime Minister will be buried on Saturday in his home village of Ngarash, in the Monduli district of the Arusha region.

The Karimjee grounds service was attended by current and former leaders, including Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi and Vice President Philip Mpango.

Dr Mwinyi, who also spoke at the event, said he learned a lot from the late Lowassa, including patriotism, accountability, and effective cooperation.

 “The best way to honour him is to continue living what he believed in building the nation,” he said.

Vice President Dr Philip Mpango said Mr Lowassa’s life has left us with many lessons, including hard work in public service and even in personal life.

“We should strive to embody the positive qualities he exhibited throughout his life,” he said.

But he also said that the deceased was the best at defending the rights and interests of the people of Monduli, the constituency he served for 20 years.

The VP also said Lowassa would be remembered for his commitment to education, citing his involvement in projects aimed at building county schools nationwide and his contributions to the construction of the University of Dodoma .