Saturday, August 10, 2013


SINGING THE PRAISES OF OUR HEROES

1.  Dear brothers and sisters, join me our heroes to celebrate,
     And our gratitude for what they have done to demonstrate,
     Let's give them honour, and our love for them cultivate,
     May their inspiration to us, our development accelerate.
  

2.  Laurian Rugambwa, the first black Catholic prince,
     You unwittingly opened the door for many ever since,
     Your love and concern for Bukoba, you did evince,
     We honour and celebrate your memory by eating mince.

3.  Josiah Kibira,  the unquestioned paragon of probity,
     You did us proud to lead with distinction and ability,
     All Lutherans, spread out in every land and locality,
     Your name and exploits will live on beyond mortality.

3.  We fondly remember you, King Kahigi the Second,
     You ruled the great  Kihanja, and didn't abscond,
     You never neglected people, even for one second,
     You were blessed with a mind as sharp as a prong.

4.  Francisco Lwamugira, you were dubbed the ninth king,
     You tied together the eight kings as if with a string,
     And succeeded in neutralizing the colonial sting,
     And managed some peace, from the colonialists to wring.

5.  We salute you, our brother Lwegarulila Fred,
     Your actions showed that you were a thoroughbred,
     Your people were on your mind, in office and in bed,
     You gave them safe water, even if that made others red.

6.  George Kahama, we adore you,though you are getting old,
     But we know that what you did in your youth was pure gold,
     In your service for your homeland Bukoba you were always bold,
     Accept our sincere appreciation from everyone in our fold.

7.  Gervase Ishengoma, your aversion to  poverty was palpable,
     You abhorred the status quo and deemed it untenable,
     And so sought to be an agent, for making life on land liveable,
     And to assist people to become economically respectable.

8.  Anna Tibaijuka, you're our Joan of Arc in-the-making.
     A heroine determined not to brook any social limiting,
     Always ready to fight, storm and gale notwithstanding,
     We implore you never to relent, but to keep on fighting.

9.  And now you lesser mortals, any lessons from these heroes?
     You'll do well to emulate them, or you'll prolong your throes,
     Serve your people well and selflessly, and shame your foes,
     Or  you will float in the sea, like do the floes.

Enock L. Kamuzora


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