Unlike those children who went to the same school from Standard One to Seven, she studied in four different primary schools in the early 1970s.
Dar es Salaam. Like any young girl in Tanzania, the daughter of Rashid Mkwachu and Mwanapaza binti Sharif also had to be enrolled in primary school for elementary education.
Unlike those children who went to the same school from Standard One to Seven, she studied in four different primary schools in the early 1970s.
This girl, whose parents named her Salma, started at Nnaida Primary School in Mikindani, Mtwara, then she moved to Rahaleo Primary School in Lindi, and from there to Ligula Primary School in Mtwara, before joining Stadium Primary School in Lindi, where she finished her studies.
She was working hard probably to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher, but little did she know that, somewhere in the stars it was already written: “Come year 2005 and you will be the First Lady of the United Republic of Tanzania.”
Hopefully, it was also written that Salma would meet Jakaya, her future husband, a grandson of a colonial chief, who was destined to become President of the United Republic of Tanzania.
The same story can be relate to Benjamin, a man from the southern Tanzania and Anna from the north, how they started dating and agreed to be husband and wife is another tricky question especially when you consider their cultural differences. A man from the south and a woman from the north!
Nevertheless, in the stars it was already written that come 1995, Anna would be the First Lady of the United Republic of Tanzania and his husband, Benjamin would be the President.
Same with Maria, a former teacher at Nyegina Primary School and Julius, the son of Chief Nyerere Burito. They became friends and then went on to be husband and wife few people know but in the sky it was already written that one day Julius (Nyerere) would become the President and Maria the First Lady.
It was also written in the stars that Ali, a former primary school teacher and Sitti, a businesswoman, would get married and later on Sitti would become the First Lady of the United Republic of Tanzania and Ali (Hassan Mwinyi) the President.
When Dr John Magufuli was named presidential candidate for CCM, everyone was surprised. He had not even been mentioned among the first choices but his name was already written in the sky.
Soon after Dr Magufuli was declared a CCM presidential flag bearer, I got a text message from one of my a colleague who said: “If your wife is a teacher make sure she is going to teach at Mbuyuni Primary School, imagine they are now giving us the second First Lady after Salma Kikwete.
Like Janet Magufuli, Salma Kitwete was also a teacher at Mbuyuni Primary School.
My reply was simple: “If you have a daughter make sure you call her Janet, because it is the luckiest name, Janet Museveni is Uganda’s First Lady, Janet Kagame is Rwanda’s First Lady and now Janet Magufuli, is now Tanzania’s First Lady.”
Of course, it has nothing to do with someone’s name or his working place but at times it has to be written in the sky.
As the battle for State House continued before general election, everywhere in Tanzania it was who is who between Dr John Magufuli and Mr Edward Lowassa.
But it was also about Regina, the wife of Edward Lowassa and Janet, the wife of Dr Magufuli, and who, among them was going to be Tanzania’s First Lady after Salma Kikwete.
As we were arguing, in the sky, it was already written that come 2015, Magufuli would be President and Janet the First Lady.
During the campaigns, it was all about the guessing game, none of us was able to open the sky and read the names of Dr Magufuli, the President and Janet, the First Lady. It was a secret that no human being could reveal.
This secret is what made every human being fight for his luck, same way Mr Lowassa was doing. If he could have known that in the sky it was written that the stars were in favour of Magufuli and Janet, he would not bothered to contest the presidential seat.
Probably the same secret will make him contest again come the year 2020 as he does not know his lucky year. Maybe it is already written that he will one day become the President of the United Republic of Tanzania and his wife Regina, the First Lady.
With his fighting spirit, no one will be surprised to see him in the race again come the year 2020. Mr Lowassa is a kind of person who does not believe it is over until it is over. Sorry for Edward Lowassa that his name was not written in the sky for 2015, but let us wait, for maybe his name and that of Regina are already been written for the year 2020 or 2025. Who knows?
