Chadema’s Lowassa, Sumaye to run ‘Kata funua’ operation

Kahama. Three key cadres of the Opposition Chadema on Wednesday arrived in Shinyanga ahead of their tour of the Lake Zone regions of Shinyanga and Kagera to implement the party’s ‘Kata funua’ operation currently going on countrywide.

This comes just a few months after the ‘Ukuta’ operation that called for people to join together in stopping what the Opposition claimed as growing tendencies of dictatorship in Tanzania.

The leaders leading the operation in the Lake Zone include members of the Chadema Central Committee Former Prime Ministers Edward Lowassa and Frederick Sumaye and party’s deputy secretary general Salum Mwalimu.

They met on Wednesday night at the home of party’s cadre Hamis Mgeja for dinner hosted by the latter.

Mr Mgeja defected from CCM two years ago after serving as the party regional chairman. During dinner, Mr Mwalimu said there were three groups of Chadema members who met for various tasks.

He said one group would accompany Mr Lowassa to Kagera Region for the operation.

Mwalimu said, for his part, he would lead another group that would hold internal meetings in Kahama District, including holding campaign rallies for the Isagehe Ward councillorship by-election.

According to him, Mr  Sumaye would lead the operation in Shinyanga Region, focusing on Shinyanga Rural and Kishapu districts.

The former PM would lead the party’s campaigns in the Isagehe Ward councillorship by-election.

For his part, Mr Mgeja, who was accompanied by several party leaders from Kahama District, said the leaders’ coming was a sign that the party’s leadership was caring for people because they did so even as the government has been trying to frustrate Opposition political engagement through banning of open meetings.