JENERALI ULIMWENGU 'DESERT FOX'
By Danford Mpumilwa
Jenerali Ulimwengu, he of the new Katiba – constitution – fame was in town
the other day. He was around for some meeting where he had been requested
to be one of the resource persons. And as usual I took time show him some
of the new joints in Arusha one of which being the City Garden, better
known as ‘Makaburini’ (graveyard) perhaps on account of its being
sandwiched between the Arusha Central Police Station and the municipal
graveyard.
Being unquestionably the most popular journalist in the country and perhaps
one of the most popular figures in Bongoland, Jenerali’s presence at
Makaburini caused quite a stir. Several patrons at the joint rushed in to
shake hands with my colleague and engage him in some small friendly talk. I
have to pleasantly confess that subsequently even our drinks and ‘kuku
choma’ bites tab was settled by someone else.
One of the patrons, however, kept on telling Jenerali and everyone around,
how great an army General, Jenerali was during his stint with the forces.
Jenerali tried hard to convince him that, apart from the compulsory
national service, he had never been part any army. All his efforts,
however, were futile as the patron translated this denial as modesty, and
one of the great hallmarks of a great man.
I was not surprised. In the many years, I believe more than 30, that I have
known Jenerali I have come across many who will swear to their clan’s
shrines that indeed Jenerali was once an army General. I believe this
misconception is due mainly to his Jenerali name. I therefore felt that it
was high time this issue was settled once and for all, and that is, get the
truth from the mouth of the horse itself before it bolts back to Dar es
Salaam.
It so happens that Jenerali’s father Mzee Khalfan, a prominent elder in
West Lake region had in the 40s and 50s been a neighbour to a Greek
businessman, one Tchikas. This Greek had a fleet of Ford trucks. Since he
so much adored his trucks he decided to name one of his sons Ford. This did
not go unnoticed to Mzee Khalfan, who unlike Tchikas loved General Motors
trucks.
Mzee Khalfan, a son of another famous West Lake elder Mzee Ulimwengu,
therefore swore that on begetting a son he would revenge Tchikas by naming
him General. It was not to be immediately because his first born was a lady
whom he named Nyangasa. The second born, however, was a son and he
dutifully named him General.
Mzee Khalfan, being a devout Muslim, soon took his kids to the nearby
Madrasa school. Unfortunately, the Madrasa could not accept them on account
of their names – Nyangasa being too ‘native’ and ‘General’ being too
European. Mzee Khalfan, I believe, must have been very democratic, he there
and then asked his kids to pick their own Muslim names. The sister picked
Zainabu while General picked Twaha because, Jenerali says, there was no
other boy by that name in that school.
This background to Jenerali the name, was however, unknown to him having
been told somehow that his father gave him that name in appreciation of a
famous German soldier, General Rommel of the Desert Fox fame. Actually
Jenerali grew up embracing this version of his name until one day when he
overheard his father say otherwise.
Mzee Khalfan was having a tête-à-tête talk with one lady Mama Mpangala,
when the later enquired about the background to his son’s name. That is
when the Mzee spilled out the Greek businessman’s story.
Naturally Jenerali was perturbed by this new revelation and confronted his
father about it. “My father was very calm and told me to pick either
version which I found suitable,” Jenerali told me. Which version he decided
to pick is still hush-hush. But having known Jenerali for all these years I
can assure you he is the Desert Fox!
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