BY MOHAMED MATOPE
Six months ago, Rosemary Odinga, the daughter of Raila Odinga (Kenya prominent Politician,former PM and the leader of Kenya leading opposition party ) gave a misleading presentation at United Nations headquarters in New york city, claiming Olduvai Gorge archaeological site is located in Kenya. This presentation was troubling at best and disgraceful at worst.
Miss Rosemary’s misleading presentation has simply intensified the anger of many of us (Tanzanians) over this issue and further reinforces what is well known that Kenya is ripping off our tourist industry with its unfair tourism trade practices, mainly by misrepresenting the geographical facts of Tanzania’s tourist’s attraction sites.
For a long time, Kenya have consistently been advertising deceptive information that Kilimanjaro Mountain and other Tanzanian’s tourist’s attraction sites belong to Kenya. The impact of Kenya’s unfair trade on Tanzanian people’s life is real. Millions of Tanzanians suffered from poverty and currency devaluation resulting from the poor economy which handily depended on tourism (and I don’t blame Kenya for all Tanzania’s economic problems).
I remember back in 1998, I met a doctor who was travelling with his family to Kenya on summer vacation to tour Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater, and mount Kilimanjaro. I asked him why he was flying to Kenya instead of flying straight to Tanzania where these sites are actually located. Apparently he was misled by Kenyan tourist agent that Mount Kilimanjaro is in Kenya.
That was in 1998, when smart phones were not around, internet was luxury item, I mean the era of Macintosh and Google was barely known.
In today’s world of abundance of smart phones, social media and Google search and the existence of Google map; for Miss Rosemary to think she would get away with these old dirty business deceptions is appalling, and frankly, she should be ashamed of herself.
To be fair to Miss Rosemary, we still don’t know her intent to mislead the world on the geographical facts; she might have had a bad Geography teacher in College.
Miss Rosemary has eventually apologized, a step in the right direction. I hope this incident will lay the ground work for a fair business practice between two countries. Let us all move forward and work together as neighbors to strengthen our mutual interest of advancing our precious tourism industry.
THE END 3/3/16
MOHAMED MATOPE IS AN OPINION WRITER FOR VAROUS AFRICAN’S BLOGS.
23 comments:
Grow up Tanzania and stop being a nagging neighbor. Rosemary has expressed her regrets at her misstatement; accept it and move on.
You know what, unlike you guys the truth is Kenya invested a lot in its tourism industry, let alone the breadth of its business sector. At the same time u folks were busy building ujamaa and state enterprises, such as a tourism promoting company that pretended to be doing business. So face it, u are no much to Kenya. Fair enough socialism was not too bad, it gave u a united country but also saw you left behind in entrepreneurship. So as u play a catching up game calm your tempers.
Rosemary is not your enemy, she is a youth overwhelmed with naivety. However she seems more mature than some reactions Tanzanians have exhibited. The entire state machinery has taken up against her. Claiming Olduwai by a student was unfortunate, imagine what it could have been if the claim had been made by a Kenyan government official. You would have started war!
By the way is the internet in Tanzania so slow? Eight months after Rosemary's misstatement the browser was still downloading the YouTube clip? Move on Tanzania
Very well said from ndugu Mohammed. I think Tanzania should charge an extra fee for any tourist come in from across the border with Kenya.
She first need to learn her Geography before she makes herself look stupid again.
Well stated! I watched the video in disbelief. It bring into questions how Kenyans will conduct themselves, once the proposed EAC economic integration is fully formalized? Will they take advantage of our resource-rich nation? Or will Tanzanians in a long run, resent and lead to the demise of the community reminiscent of the 1970s?
Annony namba moja hapo juu umesema kweli. Sisi Watanzania tu shukuru tuna nchi moja isiyo na ukabila wa majirani zetu. Kuhusu Rosemary nami pia nakubali ni binti aliyeonyesha ujinga wake. Lakini bado ni binti na amekiri kosa lake na kuomba radhi. Kutukanwa na kila mtu mpaka TTB inaonyesha udhaifu na mapungufu mengi ya watu wetu na mashirika yetu. Hatuna budi ya kuwa na mkakati wa kutangaza nchi yetu na vivutio vyake. Hii jazba labda ingekuwa na manufaa kuelekezwa huko. Tukubali tumezidiwa kete na majirani zetu katika hili la kutangaza biashara zilizo zao na zisizo.
Hivi mnadhani jina Oysterbay ni la Tanzania? Acheni ujinga. Watu wakiamua kuiita Ndege kubwa kuliko zote duniani Kilimanjaro ama Serengeti tutapiga kelele? Hiyo ni promotion ya bure kwetu. Kwanini tunakuwa wajinga kiasi hiki? Nashanga hili shirika la utalii nalo ni ouzo kiasi hiki. Hawa Ttb kweli wanalipwa kwa ujinga huu. Magufuli majipu Kama haya hayaoni?
A Kenyan Mmasai in Loitoktok has more claim to Olduvai Gorge than a frothing Mnyakyusa from Mbeya, or Mmakonde in Masasi who might not even know where Olduvai is, nor ever seen Mt Kilimanjaro. Without nationalistic emotions, a Mmakonde in Southern Tanzania or a Mhaya in Bukoba cannot claim attachment to Mt Kilimanjaro than a Mmasai in Loitoktok or a Mtaveta, Mtaita or Mkamba- all Kenyans whose survival depends on the waters of the mountain. Let's stop being too touchy and accept both our misrepresentations. After all many Tanzanians pretend that Kiswahili started there when we know the roots of this noble language are in Kenya.
we wanted an apology of which she did offer one!,by the way ,she only apologized on 3/3/16 almost 6 months after she had made a statement,and after a lot of pressure was mounted on her. Moreover we want Kenyans to stop their selfish cum theft cum deceitful mentality since in the World of social media u will be always exposed! And deliberate distortion of facts harm kenya's tourism than most of u believe a reason u r receiving 700,000 tourists while Tanzania receives 1.2 mln tourists
In a pro- British school in Kenya i learnt that Olduvai Gorge is in Kenya.Mt.Kilimanjaro,Ngorongoro too.On the weekend i was in Kent,Uk and friends there told me how they enjoyed Kenya, climbing Mt.Kilimanjaro and visiting the famous archaelogical site of Olduvai etc.Nearly every European i have met ( I live in Europe) think these places are in kenya.And many Kenyans too.You see,Rosemary is not alone,just excuse her,please !
I was so upset after hearing Rosemary’s speech at the UN international young youth Assembly that was very misleading speech by lying that Olduvai Gorge is in Kenya. Personally as a Tanzanian, and Arusha born the home of Olduvai Gorge, I’m so upset and I suppored the petition to demand her apology Rosemary Odinga must apologize to Tanzania on the same setting! not on the face book page as she did 2 days ago.We need public apology
To stop people like Rosemary Odinga from distortions and from stealing another country’s history to make it “hers” for their own monetary gain.We should also make My Brothers and Sisters in Kenya to stop using Mt.Kilimanjaro as a tourism destination for their country while they know blood well that Mt.Kilimanjaro is Tanzanian Property and will remain so.U CANT MOVE THE MOUNTAIN.
This is very well diplomatic written article, i have never seen for a long time,i am so mad with Kenyans and i'm surprised why this writer didn't curse the hell out of them. I signed the petition to condemn Rosemary act because I wanted to be part of history in correcting the misleading information given out at the world forum, we have known Kenyans for their deliberate efforts to claim what is not rightfully theirs, they stated with Mount Kilimanjaro and they have now moved to Oldvai Gorge,what is next? Bagamoyo slave site is in Nairobi?or may be Mkwawa was Kikuyu Chief? .
If we start claiming TZ we can own it.Just by some names like chege,mwendwa,politician I saw in TZ called James mbatia to name a few.But all things aside rosemary made a mistake which most of us 8-4-4 kids would have made by thinking olduvai is in Kenya. Seriously if you had put that question in GHC most of us would have failed by writing kenya.Let's give them their historical site credit but to be honest, the reason why some of us or even foreigners think its in Kenya is because most of us go to olduvai through kenya
Olduvai Gorge and Mt Kilimanjaro are both in Kenya, as well as Serengeti as far as we are concerned, while some uninformed TZis will counter this, most reasonable tanzanians actually dont mind this assertion. They know that Kenya is the leading State in this area, and we can make or take over any part of their territory and all they can do is say, tunaomba tafadhali Kilimanjaro iwe yenu, shukrani ndugu zetu... lol... pun intended
What people of East Africa doesn't know is that Kenyans love them and we always love and care about them. we are going to have one VISA for the entire region, E. African countries will enjoy the power of Kenyan Passport and acquire VISA services from most of Kenya Embassy in countries they don't have their own embassies.
Mt. Kilimanjaro, Olduvai Gorge and the name Mwendwa are in Kenya. No apology,Tanzania can kiss our ass,case close.
Grow up Tanzania? Who is supposed to grow up between a person who didn't know what she was saying and people who try to correct her? Tanzania we may be behind from some area of the development comparing to Kenya but we are proud ourselves that Tanzania is owned by Tanzanians and not by the foreigners like you guys all the best land of the country is owned by the foreigners that is real sad for the Kenyans.
As i read the viewers comments on this article i can see how Kenyans could pull off the biggest distortion of all time,that MAGUFULI is their president and easy sell it to the entire world."COME TO KENYA TO MEET OUR EXTRAORDINARY PRESIDENT MAGUFULI"
This writer is plying a diplomatic stuff here,how dare you come up with the excuse that Rosemary did not understand Geography!if so ,does she know how to google.She is from rich family im sure she can afford a smart phone.
Rosemary Odinga, Take back your disrespectful Instagram apology that is long overdue, seven months after your distortion, misrepresentation speech.Please go back to the same podium you used to lie to the world or a better one, at least, call the press conference and apologize if you are truly sincere, I'm sure you can afford that!!! If it is your political plot for popularity and Instagram followers then I gotta hand it down to you for a well-planned approach that included lying to UN delegates!
I think you are out of control or illiterate in this matter that you purportedly engaging in. Mt Kilimanjaro lies on the border of Kenya and TZ there is an agreement signed by the two nation's on how they share revenues from the said mountain don't be ignorant of that, you should rather ask your government to move your mountain deep into TZ and leave Kenyans alone.
Why can't she just admit honorably that she made a mistake and stop claiming that that is what she was taught, by who? She needs to be responsible, everybody makes a mistakes.
I am amused by the some of the Kenyan supporters commentaries. For instance, Anony. on March 4, @4:39 PM doesn't understand the concept of "Economic Development". To have a rich minority and poor majority is not development, Or to have large chunks of kenyan land in the hands of Europeans, at the expense of Indigenous people, is not development either. You alluded that Ujamaa has made Tanzania to lag, and that we're catching from behind. Well, as a Tanzanian, I am very proud of our past history. We have maintained our unity, live in peace and harmony. Unlike kenyans, unfortunately, they will never forge a peaceful and unified society free of tribalism, as it has deeply embedded every facet of kenya's life. Ironically, on the economic front, your former Masters...the Brits, are hardly investing in your country, and instead you have turned to the chinese! Who could have imagined Four decades ago that, Capitalist Kenya will be be preyed and trapped by Communist/Socialist China, a nation we Tanzanians had ideologically embraced many decades ago?. Today, it is the very communist China's economy which has become the envy of the Western world, period. Tanzania is not trying to catch up with Kenya, but we are on the verge to outpace Kenya. The abundance of natural resources (Gold, Diamonds, Iron, Uranium, Natural gas, Coal, just to name a few) combined with ample fertile land, will eventually make Tanzania to be Africa's success story and the envy of our Northern neighbor (As Mugabe calls them, the headquarter's of thieves). Contrary to your opinion, Tanzania is not a war monger, and we are not interested with war. I am sure kenya has her hand full with the Somali incursions and tribal warfare, to even have appetite of going to war with a militarily stronger nation like Tanzania. So, please stop the childish assertions of going to war; it is a non-starter. Let us stick to the main point which brought us into these exchanges, and that is "kenyans pattern of economic sabotage and lies". Kenya has to make a stop in misleading the world. Finally, in the spirit of brotherhood, Tanzania will continue to supply the much needed food, so that we can alleviate the chronic shortages hitting the Kenyan society year after year.
Post a Comment