Mrema’s body expected today, to be buried Wednesday

Arusha. The body of Meleo Mrema, an Arusha hotel tycoon who died in South Africa early this week, will be brought here Saturday, August 5, for burial scheduled to take place on Wednesday next week.

A source close to the family said the body will be received from a commercial airline around mid-day at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).

It will later be taken to the Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC) for preservation awaiting other funeral arrangements, including the burial which will take place at his Ngurdoto farm.

Sources added that several national leaders are expected at the funeral as well as other leaders, business partners, friends and relatives from Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions as well as elsewhere.

The late Mrema died from undisclosed illness at a South African hospital last Sunday after having been admitted there for about a month. He was in his mid 60s, according to relatives.

Preparations for the last respects he would be accorded and subsequent burial were yesterday underway at his residence near the headquarters of the East African Community (EAC).

Casual labourers were seen sprucing the posh building and filling up the murram road leading to it in anticipation of hundreds of mourners when the body is brought for a night vigil before the burial.

A close relative confirmed that the hotel tycoon would be buried at his farm which is close to his famous Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, some 27 kilometres outside Arusha.

The late Mrema owned a chain of hospitality outfits in and outside Arusha, including the Ngurdoto Lodge, Impala Hotel, Naura Spring Hotel and Impala Kilimanjaro Hotel in Moshi.

He runs a shuttle bus service between Arusha and Nairobi, several guest houses in Arusha. He also owns several commercial buildings in the heart of the town.

One of the buildings currently under construction along the city's main street, Sokoine Road, is also rumoured to belong to him. When completed it would one of the tallest buildings in the busy street.

Some of the late tycoon's friends and relatives are apparently worried on the fate of the future investments, saying Mrema's death came at a time of declining business in the hotel sector.

Most affected is the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge which used to host major conferences and events sponsored by the government as well as the East African Community (EAC) summits of heads of state.

The lodge, located on the south-eastern slopes of Mt. Meru has within its precincts a separate Tanzania Convention Centre which has largely remained idle for lack of major events since it was opened a few years ago.

At least five EAC heads of state summits have been held at Ngurdoto since 2007, the last of which took place early last year in which President John Pombe Magufuli claimed it was too costly.

The towering Naura Springs at the intersection of Afrika ya Mashariki Road and Moshi highway has also been hard hit after the government stopped holding conferences in privately-owned outfits.

The hotel, with huge function halls, was opened in 2008 during the Leon Sullivan Summit in Arusha. It was intended to be the only hotel in Tanzania with a provision for helipad where a helicopter can land for evacuation.