New twist in EAC anthem saga

Arusha. The East African Community (EAC) has refuted reports that one of the composers of the regional anthem from Tanzania has not been paid for the task.

Officials of the secretariat told The Citizen on Friday that Joseph Mugango, a musician-cum-teacher from Kagera region, pocketed $2,000 (Sh4.6 million) as cash prize for the composition of the EAC anthem.

The principal culture and sports officer with the secretariat Mr Bernard Lubega Bakaye also denied impression created that the Tanzanian musician was the overall winner of the anthem competition or the sole composer.

"Nobody can claim ownership of the EAC anthemn. It is a hybrid of songs composed by musicians from Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya", he clarified when contacted over the issue.

He said after the EAC secretariat invited singers and musicians from across the region to compose the regional anthemn wayback around 2005, scores of entries were received from the three countries.

According to him, the best composition was by Mr Richard L. Khadambi from Kenya while Mr Mugango and Joseph Wasswa from Uganda emerged second and third respectively.

The trio, representing the national choirs of each of the three states, were awarded $ 3,000, $ 2,000 and $ 1,500 as cash prizes.

Mr Mugango's composition, which emerged second best, was entitled ' Mungu Ibariki Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki'.

The three winners were presented their financial rewards in 2005 at the Natural History Museum in Arusha in a ceremony attended by EAC heavyweights, including the then SG Amanya Mushega and ex-Speaker Abdulrahman Kinana, and local officials. 

However, Mr.Bakaye elaborated that none of the three compositions was picked to be the EAC anthemn.

Instead a technical committee from the three countries which oversaw the process decided that there should be a hybrid song combining mainly the stanzas from the three entries.

"There was no cash prize for the final version and no individual winner. The financial rewards were concluded at the countries entry level", he pointed out.

The winning composition of the hybrid song was presented to the EAC Council of Ministers in November 2005.

It was approved as the official anthem of the Community during the Heads of State Summit held in Arusha in December 2010 to be used on occassions of regional significance.

During the just-ended parliamentary session in Dodoma, a Special Seats MP (CCM) Marth Mlata wanted the government to make a follow up of payment for the Tanzanian composer of the EAC song.

The deputy minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Dr. Damas Ndumbaro said the ministry had filed the request to the EAC secretariat.

"Until today (Friday) we have not received the letter", affirmed another official of the regional organization, noting that records on how the EAC anthemn was composed and details on the winners were with the Tanzanian ministry.