birthdays and pre-election violence

In lieu of a proper post today, just two unrelated items to share:


As we were preparing to celebrate my birthday last week, I was curious to learn more about how Tanzanians celebrate their "siku ya uzaliwa". I've only been to one birthday gathering for a Tanzanian during which the birthday boy went around serving cake, fingers to mouth, to everyone present. That freaked me out a little. 


The best answer was from Zakaria, who turns out to be exactly a year less a day younger than me: "I will go home and play with my family. Then we will give thanks to God that I have reached this many years in life. And we will give some money and gifts to the needy." 


Not too long ago, we shared about a politician being stabbed in the chest around lunchtime, not too far from where I work. It turns out that the person who hired the men to commit the killing was the Mayor of Mwanza. The woman who was killed was running for a coveted position in office and had refused to accept a bribe to drop out.


This kind of thing apparently happens "all the time", and I was told, will only increase as we approach the upcoming elections this October. 


Of course people are angry and disgusted. But when I asked what will happen to the mayor, they said it's hard to say. The case could drag on for months and months, there may never be enough "evidence" to convict him and "sooner or later, people just forget about it or don't care too much." 


I did find it striking though, when an elderly Kivulini staff member who I greatly respect said, "At least this time the man was arrested. And at least we all heard it on the news right away. This is progress."