What Lowassa would be most remembered for in Monduli as Dar bids him final farewells

Arusha/Dar. The late Prime Minister Edward Lowassa's most enduring legacy in Monduli is his pivotal role in significantly improving the district’s water supply.

As the casket with the body of the ex-PM arrives in Monduli today, February 15, residents of the district will not fail to recall how the deceased addressed the water crisis when he was alive.

Also read: Lowassa hailed as Dar residents pay last respects 

“Water scarcity had been a major challenge facing residents of Monduli for many years,” one of the area residents, Calvin Richard, said yesterday.

He told The Citizen on the phone that water availability has largely improved through efforts made by the former premier when he was the Monduli MP.

“You can’t talk of Lowassa’s contribution to the people of Monduli without mentioning the improved water situation,” he pointed out.

The former PM, who breathed his last in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, will be buried at Ngarash village near the district headquarters on Saturday.

He served as a lawmaker for Monduli constituency for 20 years (1995–2015) before he vied for the Union presidency on an opposition (Ukawa) ticket in 2015.

The former PM is reckoned to have said he would be greatly relieved if the Monduli people (his voters) had reliable access to water.

At times, the scarcity of the precious liquid became so serious that it led to the deaths of their dependable livelihoods—livestock as well as wild animals.

The water shortage in the semi-arid district located in the heart of Maasailand has also impacted learning for the pastoralist kids.

The 6,419-square-kilometre Monduli,largely inhabited by nomadic herders, has often been described as one of the driest districts in the country.

Annual rainfall does not exceed 900mm in the highlands but is mostly around 500mm in the vast lowlands, which cover large parts of the administrative area.

Mr Richard said that in addressing persistent water scarcity, the late Lowassa initiated a mega project that would supply water to Monduli from Mt Meru.

“The project is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). Water would be piped from the slopes of Mt Meru,” he said.

Besides piped water, earthen dams have been constructed and boreholes drilled in different parts of the district to tackle the crisis.

According to him, the former PM would also be remembered for the construction of schools, targeting the pastoralists’ children there.

“There are now many schools in Monduli, including those dedicated to girls. This was not the case in the past,” he explained.

Road transport linking various villages in Monduli and the district has also improved in recent years, thanks to the late former PM.

The district officials reached out to The Citizen yesterday and said preparations for the state burial were in top gear.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan will lead the nation in paying homage to the former PM, who gained much popularity for his bold stand.

This will be the second such funeral for a deceased prime minister in Monduli after the burial of the late Edward Sokoine exactly 40 years ago.

The late Sokoine died on April 12, during a road accident while in office, unlike Lowassa, who had exited office nine years ago.

Both Sokoine and Lowassa (with similar first names, Edward) were long-time legislators of Monduli and at times won the seats unopposed.

The late Sokoine, who served as MP for five years, was buried at Monduli Juu village, approximately 10 to 15 km from Monduli.

Preparations underway at Monduli include rehabilitation of the road network within the town and a road connecting it to Ngarash village.

“Water networks and temporary toilets are being put in place in order to serve multitudes of people who have started flooding the town,” an official said.

According to a programme, the hearse carrying the body of Lowassa would arrive at his Ngarash home at around 2 pm today (Thursday).

Today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) have been dedicated for public viewing of the casket before the body is laid to rest on Saturday, February 17.

Tomorrow (Friday), however, is an official day for national leaders to lead the nation in paying homage at the burial site through speeches.

As residents of Monduli brace up for yet another state funeral in 40 years, multitudes are expected to turn up in Arusha city.

A revised funeral programme released yesterday indicated the planned last respects for the fallen leader in the city have been put off.

Earlier, residents of Arusha city were to pay their last respects to Mr Lowassa at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in the heart of the city.

However, this would no longer be the case, as confirmed by Government Spokesperson Mobhare Matinyi and Arusha district commissioner Felicien Mtahengerwa.

“The programme at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium is no more,” Mr Mtahengerwa told The Citizen yesterday, February 14, afternoon.

According to him, the aircraft carrying the body of the late PM will arrive at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) at 10 am.

There will be no stopover within Arusha city, although the long motorcade will move at a slow speed to allow people to pay their respects.

The motorcade would snake its way into the city through Sanawari, through Arusha Technical College (ATC), Mbauda, and Kisongo on the way to Monduli.

The late PM’s funeral is expected to attract mourners from all corners of Maasailand, given the status of Lowassa in the community.

“We anticipate there will be a larger crowd than during Sokoine’s funeral,” said Laanyuni Sumuni, a resident of Monduli.

Equally larger crowds of mourners are expected from Arusha, Dar es Salaam and neighbouring regions, notably Manyara and Kilimanjaro.

Residents of Arusha regretted that they could not pay their last respects at the Sheikh Amri Abeid stadium, as was earlier announced.

At the Azania Front Lutheran Church in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the late PM was described as a person who worshipped God.

“Edward (Lowassa) loved worship when he was in good health. He never failed to come to church,” said Bishop Alex Malasusa, the Head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT).

He made the remarks during a special mass held at the church for the fallen ex-premier, who regularly said his prayers at the Azania Front congregation.

Freddy Lowassa, the late PM’s son and current MP for Monduli, said his father’s love for worship has been inculcated into the family for a long time and has ensured discipline.

“Whenever he was strong, he used to come to church. If one of us fails to go to church, he will react badly.

“This is a discipline that we have built as a family. He always insisted on going to church. He was a man of worship, and that is what he taught us,” he said.

Ms Ritha Mlaki, a former deputy minister, said she came to know Lowassa when both were students at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in the 1970s.

“He was transparent. He taught me to love people and to cheer for people, even those we have never met…It is difficult to mention everything good about him,” she said.