Leave me out of dirty politics, says Kikwete

Dar es Salaam. Former President Jakaya Kikwete has been forced to issue a clarification over his widely circulated comment, which a section of the public had equated to an attack on the leadership of his successor John Magufuli. Mr Kikwete took to his twitter account on Thursday to explain that he supports President John Magufuli and the government. He also pleaded for space so that he could enjoy his retirement without being antagonized with the country’s leadership.

“I’m retired. Please, let me be at peace. I would rather not be involved in political debates against the government on social media. I support the [current] president and his government,” wrote Mr Kikwete on his twitter handle.

He went on: “I am saddened by how my pictures are used on social media. I am upset over people who put words in my mouth for their own political interest,” he said on his account.

He introduces himself on twitter as Tanzania’s fourth president, University of Dar es Salaam Chancellor, High Level Representative of Africa Union to Libya and Global Ambassador for Immunisation. The former president has nearly half a million followers and follows 30 people.

The former president appeared unhappy and irked by the huge debate generated especially on social media regarding comments he had made early in the week at the University of Dar es Salaam during an official function.

In his formal address as Chancellor during the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the university on Monday, he professed of his plans to bring change at the institution.

“When you are new, people should see the difference. You should bring new things for development. But you shouldn’t bring new things that destroy what has already been established,” he was quoted as saying. However, after his address, this statement went viral on the internet, as varied social media users posted the quote and explained its meaning.

Among others, a well-known Facebook political platform ‘Tanzagiza’ posted it and a picture of Mr Kikwete, allowing more than 17,000 reactions, 1,000 shares, and close to 2,000 comments on that post alone. What seemed like a simple statement was being interpreted otherwise. Commentators suggested Kikwete’s remarks were made against President John Magufuli.

Political analysts were also quoted in the mainstream media, saying that out of wisdom, the former president had spoken in parables to pass a message. Hamad Salim, a lecturer at Open University of Tanzania (OUT) told The Citizen’s sister paper, Mwananchi, that this was Dr Kikwete’s way of speech. “We know him. We are used of him. This isn’t the first time he speaks this way,” he said. Some analysts held different views in the Mwananchi’s article that was published on Wednesday, pointing out that some people had misquoted the president out of context.

Since assuming the reins of power in November 2015, President Magufuli has embarked on a war against corruption and poor public resources governance. He has severally expressed concern the levels of corruption and poor leadership the country had sunk into when he tool over. In a function at the same university where he joined Mr Kikwete to lay the foundation stone for a digital library being constructed by funding from China, Dr Magufuli told his predecessor on the face that he had left him a huge burden to correct the ills in society. He particularly pointed out to his war on ghost workers in public institutions and ghost students in institutions of higher learning.

Thursday’s Kikwete twitter reaction was the first on social media to explain himself on matters touching on the new government. However, it was his second, following a public speech in his retirement backyard in Bagamoyo, early in the year, in which he came out to defend his wife Salma and son Ridhwani against widespread rumours that they were targeted in Magufuli’s anti-tax evasion crackdown.