Fire at Haitian Orphanage Kills 15 Babies and Toddlers

 PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -  Officials say a fire swept through a Haitian children's home run by a Pennsylvania-based religious nonprofit group, killing 15 children. A child-care worker at the home told The Associated Press that the fire began around 9 p.m. Thursday and firefighters took about 90 minutes to arrive. She said the orphanage had been using candles for light due to problems with its generator. Late Friday afternoon, police raided another home also run by the Church of Bible Understanding and took away several dozen children in a bus over protests from employees. The Associated Press has reported on a long-standing series of problems at children's homes run by the group.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE:

MBongo Afungwa Jela Miezi Mitatu Uiigereza kwa Kuposti Picha za Maiti FaceBook!

Aibu! Aibu!   Mwanaume mwenye asili ya Tanzania, Omega Mwaikambo  (43), alifungua begi iliyokuwa na maiti ya mtu aliyekufa kwenye ile ajali ya moto London, na kupiga picha za marehemu na kuziposti Facebook. Inaelekea marehemu alijitupa kutoka ghorofani ilikukwepa moto. Polisi walimkamata na kahukumiwiwa kifungo cha miezi mitatu jela.

Mwaikambo anasema kuwa aliposti picha ya maiti ili watu waweze kumtambua.  Kosa lake hasa ni kufungua ile begi ya maiti (body bag). Anadai maiti ilikuwa pale nje ya fleti yake zaidi ya masaa mawili.

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Man jailed for opening body bag and taking picture of Grenfell Tower victim

Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2017/06/16/man-jailed-for-opening-body-bag-and-taking-picture-of-grenfell-tower-victim-6714707/#ixzz4kGTdgMGU

A man has been jailed after admitting posting photos of a Grenfell Tower fire victim on Facebook after opening body bags.

Omega Mwaikambo, 43, pleaded guilty to two offences contrary to section 127 of the Communications Act, Scotland Yard said.

He was sentenced to three months at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Mwaikambo, of Testerton Walk, west London, was arrested after images were posted online of what appeared to be a partially-covered body following the fatal blaze in north Kensington, west London.

'

In one of his posts, Mwaikambo claims the body of a victim was left outside his flat for two hours before police or ambulances arrived.

Omega Mwaikambo (43)

Mwaikambo akihijiwa na polisi

Omega Mwaikambo akifungwa pingu na polisi London

Moto Uwanja wa Ndege Dar es Salaam

Jengo la Wanaowasili Uwanja wa Ndege Nairobi Umeungua Moto!

Duh! Aibu Kubwa sana kwa Kenya na Afrika Kwa Ujumla.   Kumetokea moto ambayo imetekea jengo lote la wanaowasili huko Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Embakasi Airport). Yaani hawakuwa na Zimamoto ya Kutosha ya Kuzima Moto Uwanja wa Ndege! Sasa jengo lote la wanaowasili umekuwa majivu matupu! Je, Ndege ingeanguka huko?  Uwanja wa Ndege wa Nairobi ndo kubwa kuliko zote barani Afrika! Halafu tunataka kuvutia watalii!

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International Arrival Lounge Before the Fire - Unknown Tourist Photo

We can't believe our eyes!

Stranded Tourists

 Kutoka Yahoo News:

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- A massive fire destroyed the arrivals hall at Kenya's main international airport early Wednesday, forcing the closure of East Africa's largest airport and the rerouting of all inbound flights.
No injuries were reported, said Michael Kamau, the cabinet secretary for transport and infrastructure.
Dark black smoke that shot skyward was visible across much of Nairobi as emergency teams battled the blaze. Passengers reported a slow response by the under-resourced fire brigade, and the blaze raged for four hours before being contained.

The fire broke out on the 15th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy bombings in Nairobi and neighboring Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, but there were no immediate signs of terrorism. Kenya's anti-terror police boss, Boniface Mwaniki, told The Associated Press that he was waiting for the fire to be put out so that he could inspect the scene before making a judgment.

"It was huge, the smoke billowing, and it didn't seem to be stopping," said Barry Fisher, who had hoped to fly to Ethiopia on Wednesday morning.

The fire gutted the international arrivals hall, where passengers pass through immigration and retrieve their luggage. The Kenya Airports Authority closed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport until further notice.
Kamau said the fire began at 5 a.m. in the immigration section of the arrivals hall. Inbound flights were diverted to the coastal city of Mombasa.

As in many countries in East Africa, public sector services like police and fire units are hobbled by small budgets and outdated or no equipment. Many of the responding units to Wednesday's fire were from private security firms.

A British passenger, Martyn Collbeck, said he was surprised that the airport wasn't shut sooner so that emergency vehicles could respond.

"When I arrived there were one or two fire engines parked outside the international arrivals. It spread very fast," said Collbeck, who had been scheduled to fly back to London on an early morning KLM flight. "There were a couple of explosions which I think were a couple of gas canisters."

"I would have expected more fire engines to respond faster," he added.

There may not have been fire engines available to respond. The country's largest newspaper, The Daily Nation, reported last month that Nairobi County doesn't have a single working fire engine, and that three fire engines were auctioned off in 2009 because the county hadn't paid a $1,000 repair bill. 

"It is a disgrace of biblical proportions that the entire Nairobi County does not have a public fire engine in working condition," the paper wrote in an editorial last month. "When (government leaders) were debating their budgets, they did not deem it fit to set aside money either to buy new ones or repair the old ones. But they did set aside money to build mansions for governors, (buy) big vehicles for county executives and other needs without a direct benefit to Kenyans."

The paper said the collapse of the fire department means responses to disasters is in the hands of private companies and the military.

The Nairobi airport is the busiest airport in East Africa, and its closure is likely to affect flights throughout the region.

Fisher, a trade specialist who lives in Nairobi, described the scene as chaotic.

"There was no one stopping any traffic going to the road to the airport," he said. "A number of fire trucks and ambulances were trying to negotiate their way through the lane. ... They were trying to weave their way through a solid two lanes of cars."

Moto Mlima Kilimanjaro

Wenye Hasira Kenya Wachoma Majeneza 221 - Yawakilisha Wabunge

Duh! Huko Kenya wananchi wenye hasira wamechoma moto majeneza 221 nje ya jengo la Bunge mjini Nairobi! Eti yanawakilisha wabunge 221 wa Bunge la Kenya. Wananchi wana hasira maana wabunge hao walionyesha uroho kwa kutaka mishahara na marupurupu yao yaongezeke marudufu.

Mshahara wa mbunge Kenya ni $170,000 kwa mwaka!  Walitaka wapatiwe bonasi ya $110,000. Huko kipato cha  wastani wa Kenya ni $1,700!   Hebu linganisha na Marekani. Mbunge anapata $150,000 kabla ya kukatwa kodi.  Kipato cha wastani kwa Mwananchi wa Marekani ni $45-50,000/-.   Lazima wakasirike!

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Kutoka Yahoo News

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Hundreds of demonstrators angered at the conduct of outgoing Kenyan legislators doused 221 coffins with gasoline and set them on fire Wednesday, causing an inferno outside parliament's main entrance.

Organizers of the protest said the coffins represented the end of an era of parliament's 221 legislators and burning the coffins symbolized the start of a new era away from the dishonorable acts that parliament was known for in the last five years. The legislators' term ended earlier this week. Police looked on as the caskets made of thin wood burned to ashes as protesters shouted and screamed in exhilaration.

"Bye bye parasites," shouted Sheldon Ochieng, 23, a college student studying community development. "MP's do not know their work; they are just stashing money in their pockets. It is time to have new leaders who serve the people."

Kenyans say their legislators are seen as lazy, greedy and self-centered for often improving their welfare lavishly at the cost of tax payers. A Kenya legislator earns about $175,000 a year in a country where the average annual income is $1,700. Last week Kenyan legislators attempted to award themselves a $110,000 bonus, but the president vetoed the legislation.

The package would also provide legislators with an armed guard, a diplomatic passport, and access to the VIP lounge at Kenyan airports and state funerals.

It was the second time the President Mwai Kibaki had refused to sign the bill adding the legislators' bonuses into law. In October members of parliament quietly awarded themselves the bonuses.

However, civil society activists say Kibaki, who is the 222nd legislator, is no different from other parliamentarian's because while he vetoed the hefty raises, he has approved hefty increments to a send-off package for when he retires after two terms in office following the country's March 4 elections.

The organizers of the protests Wednesday said they did not make a coffin for the president because of the veto, and the decision to give himself more money came after the coffins had been ordered.

"It was unsurprising that President Kibaki, while rejecting the MPs' pay deal, retained his own hefty retirement package. Moreover, the failure of his administration to rein in grand corruption remains a blot on what many see as credible efforts to grow the country's economy," said Boniface Mwangi, an official of a lobby group called Kenya Ni Kwetu, or Kenya is Our Home.

Atsango Chesoni, the executive director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission, said Monday that the president had contravened the constitution by approving the law that awards him hefty pension increments.

Chesoni said under the constitution Kenya adopted in 2010, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission is the authority charged with rationalizing and deciding the pay for public servants.

Mwalimu Mati, an anti-corruption activist, said the common argument from legislators is that they deserve pay increases because they have passed more bills. Mati said that argument is without merit. He said that although many laws have been crafted during the current parliamentary term, most of the legislation was passed without scrutiny due to low attendance at parliament.

Mati said the legislators spent a lot of time voting on bills for their own benefit, "like watering down sections of the integrity laws which would have required them to declare wealth." The legislators reduced academic qualifications required for one to be elected that were set out after country adopted the constitution in 2010, Mati said.

Zimamoto Mjini Dar es Salaam (Faya)

Dar Fire Engine

Facts you don`t know about the Fire Brigade


By Stella Barozi


29th May 2012


It was a few minutes after midnight on one Saturday night when a house in my neighbourhood caught fire.

The news spread out quickly and almost everyone in the neighbourhood woke up and helped in putting off the fire. Some people called the fire brigade while others called the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco).

Luckily, the two did not take long to get to the scene. Tanesco people came first and disconnected the power from the burning house.

The fire fighters arrived a while later. They helped extinguish the fire although nothing could be saved from the house. But at least they saved the house from being reduced to ashes and the other houses from catching fire.

For the first time that night, I did not hear anyone accusing the fire fighters of getting to the scene late. We all know how people blame them every time there is a fire in Dar. They are normally accused of either arriving late or getting to the scene without water to put off the fire. People go as far as throwing stones at the fire fighters in fury. A fire vehicle’s window was smashed in Dodoma two years ago and two firefighters were stoned in Sinza some years back.

Fikiri Salla, Assistant Commissioner of Fire, says they endure a lot of criticism from the public. But he says he can’t blame them because that’s their thinking.

Salla says what people don’t understand is “how the fire department works.” Sometimes those who throw stones at us are normally at the scene to steal. The arrival of the fire fighters therefore interferes with their plans to steal. “They normally do so to frustrate us,” Salla says.

Although people blame the fire fighters for not responding quickly during fire break outs, Salla says people usually don’t alert them promptly. This he says is because people don’t understand what to do when a fire breaks out. Salla calls upon the public to always dial 114 immediately they detect fire. He, however, cautions those who misuse the number to stop, saying some people hold the line for a long time denying access to those who genuinely need assistance.

“People tend to save property first and only call us when things get out of hand. Fire is normally undetectable when it starts and when people finally notice it, it’s always too late,” says Salla.

He says a fire could start and take twenty minutes without being detected. When people find out there is a fire, they take at least five minutes to inform the fire brigade.

It takes only two minutes for the first fire vehicle to get on the road when the fire brigade is informed of a fire break out. Unfortunately, this does not necessarily mean they would get to the scene on time. It normally depends on factors such as location, the type of road and traffic jam among others.

According to Salla, twenty minutes are enough for everything to be gutted down by fire in a single room, “given the nature of our furniture”. It also normally takes thirty minutes for a whole house to get burnt completely.

“So what we normally do is to go save neighbouring houses from damage,” says Salla. He says depending on the location, sometimes the fire vehicle’s get caught up in traffic.

Getting to Tegeta, which is between 25 to 35 kilometres and only a 15 minutes drive from the city centre, for example, would take between 45 to 50 minutes drive during peak hours.

A few years back when the population of Dar es Salaam was still small, Salla says motorists used to make way for the fire vehicles when they heard sirens. Today its difficult getting anywhere on time during heavy traffic.

Kigamboni is so close to the Central Business District but sometimes getting there during a fire emergency could be challenging too. Salla says the fire vehicles could arrive at ferry and find the pontoon on the Kigamboni side. Unlike in the past where the fire people used to be given priority during emergencies, today they have non choice but to wait until it returns when they miss it.

The timing solution here seems to be having more fire stations out of town. The government, according to Salla is working on improving the shortcomings. He says improvements shall be seen in five years.

The government plans to build seven new fire stations in Tegeta or Mbezi, Mbezi Louis, Tabata, Mbagala, Gongo la Mboto, Mwenge and Kigamboni.

These will help reduce response time during fires. Construction of the centres will commence as soon as land is acquired, hopefully in this financial year.

“We hope to start construction in the next budget,” says Salla.

On the claims that fire don’t respond quickly in emergencies, the fire boss had this to say; “Is it possible that we would drive vehicles all the way from here (his office) to just come look at the fire and go back to get water?”

He says sometimes the water they may have brought with them may not be enough depending on the intensity of the fire. So when some people see the fire vehicle leaving to get more water, they tend to think fire had arrived without water which has never been the case.

Water is one of the challenges the force is currently facing. Many areas in Dar es Salaam have no fire hydrants where water for putting out fire is stored. Dar es Salaam has only 1,268 fire hydrants, of which only 74 were working in 2003 when the fire brigade inspected them last.

The force is also marred by inadequate fire fighting equipment, especially vehicles. The 15 trucks they have are not enough for the force’s seven centres. At least four vehicles for each centre would make things easier.

“We need water bowsers because we don’t have water hydrants at the moment,” says Salla. Hydrants in many areas are connected to Dar es Salaam Water Supply Company (Dawasco) pipes. These lack water whenever there is no water.

Poor planning in many areas of the city is another challenge fire faces. Salla says more than 70 per cent of people in Dar es Salaam live in unplanned areas with narrow impassable roads and with no street names. Salla says some people encroach planned areas and build their houses there which makes it difficult for vehicles to pass.

“It’s always a challenge locating an area in unplanned settlements when there is a fire. What we normally do in such cases is asking those who called us to meet us at a popular spot,” says Salla.

Sometimes their vehicles get stuck in squatters and when they finally get there, they find people waiting with stones in their hands.

Staff shortage, self contained breathing apparatus, turn out suits and fire fighting gloves are other challenges facing the brigade.

Salla calls upon industry and factory owners as well as the public at large to give the force a helping hand since the operational costs are too high.

For those who ridicule or throw stones at the firefighters, Salla says; “they need to understand the real situation. Because if one can spend hours on their way back home, how do they expect fire to get there on time?”

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=42078

Studio za Tyler Perry Zaungua Moto Atlanta!

Wadau, sehemu ya studio za Tyler Perry, huko Atlanta, Georgia, iliungua moto usiku wa kuamkia leo. Habari zinasema kuwa ukuta wa jengo iliungua vibaya na ndani uliathirika zaidi na maji ambayo walitumia kuzima moto.

Tyler Perry alishukuru Zimamoto wa Atlanta na anasema kuwa studio iko wazi na kazi itaendelea kama kawaida.

Pole sana Tyler Perry na wafanyakazi wote wa Tyler Perry Studios.

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Atlanta (CNN) -- A massive fire tore through a building at the southwest Atlanta film studio of Tyler Perry on Tuesday night.


No one was injured, but the blaze caused one building to partially collapse, said Atlanta fire Capt. Jolyon Bundridge.

Officials do not yet know what started the fire.

Perry was at the complex Tuesday night but did not speak to reporters, CNN affiliate WSB-TV reported.

The multi-million dollar studios sit on 60 acres and include five sound stages, a 5-acre pond, a theater, a chapel, a commissary, a gymnasium, Perry's office, an art department where sets are designed, hair and makeup facilities, a wardrobe department, set decoration, a post-production facility and a backlot named 34th Street, "as in Miracle on 34th Street," according to the studio website.

Perry's credits include work as director, writer, producer, actor and playwright.

His TV shows "Meet the Browns" and "House of Payne" are huge moneymakers, as are Perry's wildly popular movies.

Last year, Perry topped Forbes' "Entertainment's Highest-Paid Men" list, raking in $130 million in 12 months beginning in May 2010

Kwa habari zaidi na Video BOFYA HAPA:
 
Na HAPA:

Moto Mjini Boston, Massachsuetts!

Wadau, zaidi ya watu 20,000 hawana umeme mjini Boston leo baada ya transfoma kulipuka karibu na Shreaton Hotel Dalton St.  Halafu watu wameambiwa waondoke kwenye hoteli na majumba! Red Cross inasaidia.  Ofisi nyingi zimefungwa!  Ni balaa.

Mimi niko salama, nakaa Cambridge kuvuka mtoni.

Electrical fire leaves areas of Boston in darkness: MyFoxBOSTON.com

Maoni - Mabanda ya Wabara Yaliochomwa Moto Zanzibar

Kama mmesikia kwenye taarifa ya habari kuna mabanda, ya wabara yaliyochomwa moto huko Zanzibar eneo la Pwani Mchagani. Prof. Abdul Sheriff ameandika maoni yake kuhusu tukio.
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Burning of the Mabanda

The burning of the mabanda belonging to ‘Wabara’ at Pwani Mchangani in Zanzibar has become a big story, treated as a criminal or a political act by Zanzibaris against mainlanders. It may be both, but nobody has asked where the root of the problem may lie in the economic and social sphere.

The first question that may be asked is whether all these 80 or so shops indeed belonged only to mainlanders, and there were not any belonging to local people. From the picture that I have seen, the whole area was swept clean. If this was the case, then the second question is how such an odd situation could have arisen in a fishing village in Zanzibar, that suddenly there should be such an flood of the ‘wabara’, without providing any opportunity to the local people to benefit from any development there.

The answer may lie in the way tourism has invaded Zanzibari villages, and how it has undermined local economy and society. I remember going to nearby Nungwi village in 1979 before the tourism invasion. It was not a rich village, but it was to a considerable extent a neat village and a comfortable self-reliant community subsisting on local agriculture and fishing, selling the surplus to the town. When I visited the same village last year, it had been turned upside down, and I could not recognise it at all. It has been flooded with shops blaring loud music, with bars and mabanda selling all sorts of things to tourists and others. It resembles Kariakoo.

A couple of years ago there was a conflict there where women of the village came out demonstrating against the huge inflow of prostitutes who they said were breaking up their families there. Some years previously, a politician extended his bar into one of the streets of Zanzibar Stone Town against the existing law, with drunkards and prostitutes blocking the street that even a self-respecting man would not dare to pass, let alone women. He was approached by one of the European neighbours, but he was rudely told to shove off. Other neighbours approached the police, but they did nothing to enforce the law. Where everything failed, some disgruntled person resorted to the bomb. Overnight, the bar went indoors where it was supposed to be according to the law in Zanzibar.

More recently several bars that had sprung up in the middle peaceful residential communities in Zanzibar were burnt. In the recent case also there have been complaints that the mabanda were haunts of bars and prostitutes.

Did the government or the police take any action to deal with the grievances of the local villagers to prevent the destruction of these communities for the sake of the tourist dollar and those pursuing them? Therefore, should we be surprised that some local villagers would resort to be taking law into their own hands when those responsible fail to fulfil their duties?

We should not be surprised, without necessarily condoning such acts. This has been taken by the authorities as a criminal act, and they have promised the ‘full force of the law’ to suppress it. It has been interpreted by those affected as hatred by Zanzibaris against wabara. If there is such ‘hatred’, there must be a reason.

In the persisting widespread discontent in Zanzibar against the Union, which many see as not having benefited the smaller partner, but on the contrary, is destroying local communities, why should we be surprised that it may become a demonstration of the underlying political problem?

Some people on the mainland have raised the spectre of a similar treatment against Zanzibaris on the mainland. If Zanzibaris become responsible for a similar disruption of the local economy and society in their new homes on the mainland, they may suffer a similar backlash.

However, this should not stop us from asking some fundamental questions about our economic policies, especially about tourism, to the neglect of everything else, without considering the social, cultural, and even political consequences to our country and its people.

Abdul Sheriff, Prof.
Executive Director
ZIORI

Heaven, Hell na Wanasiasa

Hii inafaa kwa wanasiasa wote duniani kote!!!!

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HEAVEN AND HELL

While walking down the street one day a Corrupt Senator was tragically hit by a car and died.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the Senator..

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from the higher ups. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really?, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the Senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.They played a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who is having a good time dancing and telling jokes.

They are all having such a good time that before the Senator realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises...

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him, "Now it's time to visit heaven.."

So, 24 hours passed with the Senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."

The Senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell..

Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.

"I don't understand," stammers the Senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"

The devil smiles at him and says,

"Yesterday we were campaigning, Today, you voted.."

Vote wisely on November 2, 2010

Kasubi Tombs Zachomwa Moto Uganda!

Hii habari mbaya sana kwa waGanda. Watu wananza kuhofia vita inaweza kuanza wakati wowote!

Kasubi Tombs ni sehemu waliozikwa wafalme wa kabila la waBaganda. Eneo hiyo ina miaka 150, na Umoja wa Mataifa wanaitambua kama sehemu ya kihistoria. Zaidi ya makaburi ilikuwa ni kama makumbusho ya historia ya waBaganda. Kulikuwa na vitu kama mikuki na ngao, na vifaa vingine waliotumia mababu yao. Wazungu walishangaa uimara wa jengo hilo na pia ufundi waliotumia kuijenga. Kuteketezwa kwa hiyo jengo ni hasara kubwa kweli kweli.

Website ya Kasubi Tombs ni : http://www.kasubitombs.org/en/general/index.php

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WaBaganda wakilia usiku wa kuamkia leo baada ya kuona nyumba inayohifadhi makaburi ya wafalme wao kuchomwa moto na watu wasiojulikana.

Kwa habari zaidi someni:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/world/africa/18uganda.html

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Kutoka: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/713295

By Steven Candia

8:50pm Tuesday: The Fire Brigade receives a call about the fire.

8:52pm: The Fire Brigade dispatches the first fire truck.

9:03pm: The commander of the truck radios the headquarters, asking for an additional fire engine (truck).
9:09pm: The headquarters dispatches another fire truck as well as a water truck. The first truck heads back to the station with a shattered windscreen. Fire fighter Dennis Apienu is injured in the left ear. Other fire fighters are in disarray. The vandalised truck is driven by an alternate driver under Police escort.

9:30pm: The Police fire team regroups at the headquarters, calls for more security. A fire engine and a water tanker head to Old Kampala Police Station. Reinforced with two Police patrol trucks, the team makes a second attempt to reach the tombs but again come under attack and beat a hasty retreat.

10:41pm: Team gets back at fire brigade headquarters with both windscreens of the trucks damaged. In the meantime, the fire is still raging, although the roof had not yet caved in. The Fire Brigade calls for more security. Lt. Gen. Katumba Wamala, the head of the Land Forces, arrives and placates the crowd.

11:00pm: After Katumba’s intervention, the fire men make a third attempt to stop the fire. Armed with two fire engines and one water tanker, the squad makes it to the tombs, but the roof has already caved in, with huge flames still raging. Firemen, protected by the UPDF, reinforced with a bigger fire engine from the CAA, battle the inferno untill dawn.

6:37am, Wednesday
Crowds jam the smouldering ruins.
The source of the fire still a mystery.

Wasichana 12 Wafa Baada ya Bweni Kuungua Moto!

Kuna ajali ya moto iliyotokea huko Iringa juzi katika bweni la wasichana wa shule ya sekondari Idodi. Jamani eti hao mabinti walifungwa bwenini usiku kusudi wasitoroke! Kama watataka kutoroka watatoroka tu hata wawafungeje! Sasa hao mabinti wamekufa katika moto na maiti zao hazikuweza kutambulika. Mbona inasikitisha! Hivi kwenye hiyo shule hakuna walinzi?

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Tanzania buries school fire dead

Hundreds of mourners have attended the mass burial in Tanzania for 12 girls who died in a dormitory fire.

The BBC's Josephat Mwanzi said the bodies, which were burned beyond recognition, were put in separate graves with numbered markers.

Their names will be added to the graves in school in Idodi, 460km (285 miles) west of Dar es Salaam, when the results of DNA tests are known.

The fire is thought to have been caused by a student reading by candlelight.

Police say it probably set light to a mosquito net and the flames spread through the dormitory at Idodi Secondary School on Saturday night.
shul
Our reporter says parents and pupils gathered around the graves to see the coffins being lowered.

He said it was heartbreaking to watch and many of the mourners were in tears.

Afterwards, some of the pupils said the girls' dormitories at the school were often locked at night to stop them going out.

Fourteen girls who were seriously injured in the fire are being treated at a hospital in nearby Iringa town.

Nine others are being looked after in Idodi village - and at least two of them attended the funeral.

After the funeral, the pupils were sent home for three weeks so a new dormitory can be built.

Officials had earlier said the dead would be buried in a mass grave because their bodies had been burnt beyond recognition.

Scores of schoolchildren have died in similar incidents in neighbouring Kenya and Uganda in recent years

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8219940.stm

Kanisa Mbili Zachomwa Moto Zanzibar

Wadau, siku zote Tanzania tumekuwa nchi enye amani na utulivu. Ni nchi enye upendo na uvumilivu. Undugu! Wakristo na Waislam wamekulia katika nyumba moja, ujirani, wanasoma pamoja na kusherekea mambo mengi pamoja. Inasikitisha kusikia kuwa kanisa mbili zimechomwa moto huko Zanzibar na watu wanaosema kuwa hawataki ukristo uenee kisiwani. Serikali inafanya nini? Naomba isikae kimya katika suala hiyo.

Nina amini kuwa waliochoma kanisa hizo si waTanzania.

Tunataka Amani tuliozeoa iendelee!

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http://www.bosnewslife.com/8107-zanzibar-christians-fear-more-attacks-after-church-burnings-evictions

ZANZIBAR CITY, TANZANIA (BosNewsLife)-- Christians on Tanzania's Zanzibar Island anticipated more attacks against them Wednesday, July 1, as two churches were reportedly burned over the weekend by suspected militants opposing the spread of Christianity on the Muslim dominated semi-autonomous territory.

The Evangelical Assemblies of God in Tanzania (EAGT) church and a nearby Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship in Africa church building were torched Sunday, June 28, with militants warning Christians to halt worship services, church officials said in published remarks.

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http://www.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=5985&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=zanzibar&countryname=&rowcur=0

NAIROBI, Kenya, June 30 (Compass Direct News) – Two church buildings were razed Sunday night (June 28) on the island of Zanzibar after worship services. Suspected radical Muslims set the church buildings on fire on the outskirts of Unguja Township, on the Tanzanian island off the coast of East Africa, in what church leaders called the latest incidents of a rising tide of religious intolerance. With Christian movements making inroads in the Muslim-dominated area, the Evangelical Assemblies of God in Tanzania (EAGT) church and a Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship in Africa church building a few miles away were burned down as a fierce warning, church leaders said. “We don’t want churches on our street,” read a flier dropped at the door of Charles Odilo, who had donated the plot on which the EAGT building stood. “Today we are going to burn the church, and if you continue we are going to burn your house also.”

Roho Juu Juu Resolti!

Translation: OUR TOURIST HOTELS

Sign says : Extremely Anxious Resort Welcome!

Hotel Owner: STOP! Keep that cigarette of yours over there, you will cause me severe losses!

Kwa katuni zaidi nenda:
http://www.nathankatuni.wordpress.com/

Wabaguzi wachoma Moto Kanisa la Weusi

Wazungu wabaguzi watatu wamekamatwa huko Springfield, Massachusetts kwa kuchoma moto kanisa la weusi huko. Hao wabaguzi walisema kuwa walichoma moto kanisa hilo kwa vile walichukizwa na mtu mweusi kuchaguliwa kuwa rais wa Marekani.

Mnaweza kusoma habari zaidi hapa:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/01/17/church_arson_tied_to_racism/

Na Obama anavyokaribia kuapishwa weusi Marekani wameonywa kuwa matendo ya kibaguzi dhidi yao yanaweza kuongezeka.

Watu karibu 500 walikufa katika Ajali ya Moto mjini Boston mwaka 1942

Ukiwa unatembea maeneo ya Piedmont st. karibu na Arlington St. tafuta hii Plaque. Iko kwenye sidewalk usipoangalia vizuri unaweza kuikanyaga.

Watu wakingojea mortuary kwenda kutambua maiti za ndugu na marafiki zao

Klabu baada ya moto

Jitihada za kuokoa watu

Usiku wa Novemba 28, 1942, miaka 66 iliyopita watu 492 walikufa katika moto uliozuka katika klabu ya Cocoanut Grove. Watu walikuwa wanastarehe huko nakusikiliza muziki na kunywa vinywaji na kula chakula wakati motomkali ulizuka.

Habari zinasema kuwa kuna vijana huko waliokuwa wanataka kupiga mabusu katika giza. Waliondoa taa iliyokuwa juu yao. Kuna mfanyakazi aliyeamuriwa airudishe. Aliporudisha aliwasha kibiriti na kusababisha mapambo yaliyotengenezwa na karatasi kuwaka moto. Moto ulivyosmbaa mle watu walishindwa kutoka maaan mlango wa kutoka ulikuwa moja tu. Mwenye klbau alifunga milango kwa hofu kuwa watu watatoroka bila kulipa bili zao. Na kun watau waliopona huo ajali wanaosema kuwa wakati moto una waka kuna mfanyakazi alikuwa anadai watu walipe madeni yao.

Siku zingine ukipita eneo hiyo karibu na Arlington St., Boston utasikia kwa mbali milio ya watu.

Kutokana ma moto huo sheria za klabu mjini Boston zilibadilishwa. Mfano milango yote inafunguliwa kwenda nje, badala ya ndani.

Kwa habari zaidi someni:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoanut_Grove_fire

http://www.celebrateboston.com/disasters/fires/cocoanutgrovefire.htm

http://www.boston.com/news/daily/21/archives_cocoanut_112292.htm

Ya Kale Dhahabu

Wadau, nilopokuwa nasoma Zanaki Girls 1977, amri ilitoka ya kuchoma vitabu vyote vilvyoachwa na Aga Khan Girls. Zanaki ilikuwa Aga Khan Girls kabla ya kutaifishwa. Vitabu vilikuwa vingi. Kulikuwa na vitabu vya hesabu, literature, Shakespeare, English na masomo mengi. Nilikuwa Form One na walikuwa wanavichoma kwa vile vilikuwa na kasumba! Tuliletewa vitabu vya Tanzania curriculum, hivyo literature badala ya Shakespeare na wengine tulisoma African writer's series. Ten a wakati tunachoma hivyo vitabu, kupata hata za kiswahili ilikuwa shida kidogo. Hizo zilizochomwa zingetusaidia anagalau.

Mnakumbuka enzi zile, eti ukiongea kiingereza unatukanwa eti una kasumba! Ilikuwa enzi za kukuza Kiswahili kuwa lugha ya taifa. Matokeo yake watu waliokuwa wanajua kiingereza walifanya kuwa hawajui! Matokeo yake wabongo wengi wanaongea kiingereza kibovu kwa vile walifundishwa na walimu wasioelewa lugha vizuri.

Dada Subi ameniletea habari za kusikitisha. Ni tukio uliotokea alipoenda kwao. Alikuta vitabu vya kiswahili vimechomwa! Khaa! Jamani, kwa nini vitabu vichomwe??? Si zina gharama. Yaani hazina faida tena? Hata hapa Marekani hawachomi vitabu vinapelekwa second hand store au zinasafirishwa nchi za nje.

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Imeandikwa na Dada Subi:

Ya kale dhahabu!

Mimi nilipokuwa Tanzania majuzi niliwenda hadi shule yangu ya Msingi kumwomba Mwalimu Mkuu vitabu vya zamani, hadithi niliyopewa nilichoka. Ati Waalimu wakuu wa shule za msingi wote walipewa amri toka kwa Waziri wavichome vitabu vya zamani ili kutoa nafasi kwa vitabu vipya. Huyo waziri mbumbumbu sijui alitamka akiwa amelewa buza ama gongo gani. Kumbuka zile stoo za vitabu zilivyokuwa zimejaa vitabu, vyote vikapigwa kiberiti. Najiuliza, kwa nini hakuwepo mjanja mmoja akahifadhi nakala moja moja?

Nina imani atakuwepo mtu mmoja mmoja aliyeficha kimoja na mwingine kingine na siku moja tutaviona tena na vitauzwa kwa bei nzuri kweli. Nilipambana na maboksi ya vitabu vya Bibi na Mama kwa kuwa wao walikuwa Waalimu, wakanifahamisha kuwa sitafanikiwa kuvipata kwani wao walikuwa watiifu, hawakuchukua mali ya Shule/Serikali na kuihifadhi kama yao.

Kila mara huwa nakumbuka:
Juma na Roza. Someni kwa Furaha, hatua ya tatu.
Hadithi za Pazi na Jogoo alivyomning'iniza kichwa chini miguu juu, na ile hadithi ya Mwanamke aliyevalia hereni kubwa kisha akaenda sokoni kuuza bidhaa zake mara mbuzi wakapita wakarusha mguu ndani ya tundu la hereni nayo ikalikata sikio....
Unamkumbuka Kalumekenge alipokataa kwenda shule? Fimbo ikaambiwa imchape Kalumekenge ili Kalumekenge aende shule. Lakini fimbo ikakataa kumchapa Kalumekenge aliyekataa kwenda shule. Moto ukaambiwa uichome fimbo ili fimbo imchape Kalumekenge ili Kalumekenge aende shule. Lakini moto ukakataa kuichoma fimbo, iliyokataa kumchapa Kalumekenge, aliyekataa kwenda shule. Ndipo maji yakaambiwa yauzime moto, uliokataa kuichoma fimbo, iliyokataa kumchapa Kalumekenge, aliyekataa kwenda shule. Ndipo maji yaka kuuzima moto, moto ukaichoma fimbo, fimbo ikammchapa Kalumekenge, ndipo Kalumekenge akaenda shule.

Unawakumbuka Wagagagigikoko?

Unamkumbuka yule mtoto aliyetumwa kwenda kwa Bibi yake akacheza barabarani hadi simba akamla Bibi yake na kulala kitandani halafu yule mtoto alipofika akamwuliza, Bibi mbona masikio yako makubwa? Bibi akamjibu, ili niweze kukusikia vizuri. Akamwuliza tena, mbona macho yako makubwa? Akamjibu, ili niweze kukuona vizuri. Akamwuliza, mbona meno yako makubwa? Akamjibu, ili niweze kukutafuta vizuri. Ndipo akaiona miguu yake na simba akamrukia na kumla.....

Nikakumbuka na hadithi ya Usiku wa Mbalamwezi, na kabla ya hiyo ilikuwepo hadithi ya Muro na mifugo yake, halafu ilikuweko 'Leo ni Sikukuu' wachilia mbali ile hadithi ya mjukuu aliyekuwa anataka kushindana na babu yake kunywa chai lakini kumbe chai ni ya moto, basi babu yake akawa anatoa sababu ambazo zilikuwa zinaishia na neno 'fu' na kila aliposema 'fu' alipuliza chai 'fu fu fu'....

Mi nilikuwa nasoma na kurudia zile hadithi hadi nyumbani. Bibi kwa vile alikuwa Mwalimu, basi alikuwa akiazima kitabu kwa niaba yang nami nakisoma nyumbani na kukikabishgi ili kirudishwe kabla Ijumaa makusudi nisikose kuazimwa wiki inayofuata. Nilikuwa nasoma hadi mwisho na nyuma ya kitabu, jalada, kabisa nahakikisha nimesoma kujua kama kitabu kile kina chapa ya MTUU, TPS, Oxford, Longman ama Maximillian Publishing!

Unakumbuka hesabu zilivyokuwa zimepangika kwenye vitabu halafu pembeni zina picha zinazoendana na hisabu yenyewe?

Halafu somo la mwandiko nimemkumbuka mwalimu alikuwa anatufundisha kuumba herufi kwa wimbo, 'chirioooo cha, chirioooo cha....'

Eh jamani! Wametupa jongoo na mti wake! La haula la kwata!

Nasikitika sana mimi lakini najipa moyo kuwa ipo siku tutaviona tena vitabu vyenye hadithi na mafunzo murua...

Golden Days Are Gone? Aaaarrrrrrrgh!
Memories are made of this!

Subi

Moto Universal Studios Hollywood!

Seti kadhaa za sinema huko Universal Studios Hollywood, ziliangamizwa kwa moto jana. Baadhi ya seti zilizoungua ni zote za New York City, ile ambayo unaona kwenye sinema za Back to the Future na exhibit ya King Kong.

Pia kanda za sinema zaidi ya 40,000 ziliangamizwa wakati vault ambako zilihifadhiwa iliungua. Sinema hizo nyingi ni za tangu miaka ya 1920's! Kwa bahati nzuri Universal wanasema kuwa wanazo copy za sinema zote zilizoungua!

Kwa habari zaidi someni:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/02/studio.fire.ap/index.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-studiofire2-2008jun02,0,20944.story

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/historic-film-sets-destroyed-by-huge-fire-at-universal-studios-838151.html

Moto wa Pilipili India

Unaweza kuamini kuwa pilipili zinaweza kuungua? Huko India leo magunia ya zaidi ya laki moja na nusu zimeungua kwenye soko kuu ya pilipili. Na tunavyojua wahindi wanavyopenda pilipili hii ni hasara kubwa kwao. Magunia mengi yalikuwa ya pilipili kichaa.

Wakazi wa huko Hyderabad, India wanasema kuwa moshi wa huo moto ni mkali na unasababisha macho na koo ya watu kuwasha na kuchoma.

Poleni sana wakazi wa Hyderabad. Je, ina maana bei ya pilipili itapanda?

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HYDERABAD, India (AP) -- A fire has broken out at one of India's largest chili markets, burning hundreds of thousands of pounds of chili peppers.
Residents and officials say the burning chili smoke is stinging the eyes and throats of people in Guntur in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
One local official says 150,000 bags of chilies have been destroyed across a 50-acre area in Saturday's blaze.
Officials have evacuated nearby residents, and firefighters are still trying to control the flames.
No causalities have been reported. It remains unclear what started the fire.