It is Independence Day again and I remember my small tumbler

I vividly remember that 9th December day of 1961. I do recall that it was a Saturday and I was in Class 1 at then Madilu, now Wangama primary school, in the now Wanging'ombe district, Njombe region.

This is an account of that day I was presented with my first prized property which I could personally manage without any undue interference from anyone including my parents.

The property was in the form of a green small plastic tumbler for my use when drinking hot tea or porridge and even water. From the writings on its belly, it was made in Tanga.

Actually the tumbler was presented to all pupils in that school, and presumably to all pupils from other schools as well to mark the country's Independence on that day from the British colonial rule.

The tumbler had writings and engravings on its sides of, I believe, the country's Coat of Arms and the words 'Tanganyika: Independence Day.'

I remember staying with that tumbler for at least six years until the now tattered tumbler could no longer hold water, porridge or tea. I also forgot to mention that on that day we also held a colourful flag raising ceremony spiced by our school's brass band.

And today, 62 years later, we are marking that very same milestone in our country's history.

And that is why I would like to highlight our country's independence history with some interesting facts. That Tanganyika, was originally constructed of Tanganyika territory - the British share of German East Africa or Deutsch Osta Afrika, - which the British took under the League of Nations mandate, and which was later transformed into the United Nations Trust Territory after the WWII.

And the name Tanganyika was chosen by the British in the Treaty of Versails, and as such the name took effect when Britain was given control in 1920.

Britain needed a new name to replace the 'Deutsch Osta Africa' or 'German East Africa'.

Also a few years before independence, in 1958, during the heated struggle for independence, the British held a general election which attracted more than 28,000 voters.

In those elections TANU which was then only four years old and under the leadership of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere decided to field its candidates, and its popularity was confirmed when it won every seat.

There was some resistance from the British settlers who had, in 1956, established their own United Tanganyika Party (UTP) led by one Brian Willis.

However, the Party became redundant as it was clear Nyerere and TANU were going to win the battle over Tanganyika's independence.And tha UTP was also less effective due to £4,000 (12.6 million/-) annual salary - remember that was in the 50s - for Willis which limited the Party's effectiveness to campaign efficiently.

These are some of things that went behind Bongoland's Independence. Oh! How I wish I could be presented again with another small green independence tumbler.