THE STORY OF A MAN - Home

THE STORY OF A MAN 

- JUMA REGINALD SAWAYA MAWALLA -

Narrated by Nyaga Paul Mawalla and Eric Sikujua Ng’maryo, 

Compiled and Edited by Vivian Ngowi, 

Written by Paul Clingman 

Designed by HKLM Group. 

© Copyright 2011 

Contents 

Prologue 7 

Foreword 13 

Introduction 17 

Juma Mawalla the Boy 25 

Juma Mawalla the Young Man 35 

Juma Mawalla the Lawyer 89 

Juma Mawalla the Man 103 

Epilogue 147

PROLOGUE

The life of Juma Mawalla, so productive, 

so full of accomplishment and recognition, 

is for his family, an exemplary one. Not 

only does it set a standard and serve as 

a foundation for all those who follow him, 

but it embodies and distils the values, 

traditions and pioneering spirit of a family 

that since early times, has made its mark 

on society. 

It is out of reverence and respect, 

admiration and appreciation for the life 

of Juma Mawalla, that we, his family, 

have embarked on this project, a book 

- OPENING STATEMENT - 

There comes a time in one’s life, when looking forward must 

be balanced with looking back. History, and the roots of 

one’s heritage are as important as any dreams, hopes and 

achievements on which one may set one’s eyes. 

- 9 - 

that records his life in pictures, that 

acknowledges the leadership, vision 

and spirit of a true patriarch. 

Juma Mawalla, we thank you for the 

towering example you have been to your 

family and to many others beyond it, and 

it is with a sense of great honour, humility 

and privilege that we dedicate this book 

to the lifetime achievements of not only 

a great man, but a father as well.

- OPENING STATEMENT - 

There are women who step forward to lead by example, who 

influence those around them, guiding their thought and action, 

bringing to bear all the gravity of their spiritual understanding 

and practical abilities so that their families may flourish. 

There are women who as much in their 

silences as in their words, exemplify 

strength, purpose and wisdom, giving 

with all their hearts everything they can so 

that those who follow will walk along the 

paths they have walked. There are women 

who with generosity of spirit stand in the 

background, as those who are dear to 

them map out success and achievement 

and make their mark in the world. There 

are women, who, even in this company, 

stand out for their steadfastness, 

determination and character. 

- 11 - 

Just such a woman is Damari Ndowo 

Mawalla, wife of Sawaya, mother of Juma, 

and grandmother to Nyaga, beloved 

of all three. And it is to her, with love, 

respect and appreciation, that this 

book is dedicated.

FORWARD

I first met Juma Reginald Sawaya Mawalla 

in London in 1958. He had come from 

India where he had been pursuing law 

studies and had decided to complete 

those studies in England. I had come 

from Makerere University where I had 

completed a degree course in Economics 

and Political Science and was also in 

England to pursue studies in law. We 

became instant friends at our very first 

meeting in London. Whenever we met we 

used to chat for hours on end, something 

we still do. Characteristics we share, are 

a commitment to work and independence 

of thought. 

Having been called to the English bar, 

and prior to that having completed our 

Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degrees at London 

University, both Juma and I ended as 

English barristers. Juma subsequently 

returned to Tanzania in 1961 to set up 

a law office in Moshi, while I returned 

in 1962 and set up a law office in Mwanza. 

Nyaga, the author of this work, is 

a product of the union between Juma 

and Margaret, who both saw to it that 

Nyaga was brought up as a hard worker 

and lover of justice. 

At the time of Nyaga’s birth my relations 

with Juma were such that I was given the 

privilege of giving the child a name. The 

name I gave him – Nyaga – was the name 

of my late mother’s father. Juma was very 

excited about this. 

- FOREWORD - 

It is with great pleasure that I have been given the honour to 

write the Foreword to this very unique “Story of a Man”. It is an 

honour first of all because the work is about a man I have known 

for more than fifty years. Secondly, it is the dedication of a son 

writing about his father – absolutely fantastic! 

- 15 - 

Nyaga is an extraordinary young man who 

has done extremely well at a very young 

age. His love for his parents is passionate, 

as is evidenced by his idea of writing 

about his father. The work itself shows 

careful planning over a long period. 

Just take the pictures of his father 

and family. Assembling the collection 

must have taken years of devotion and 

commitment. I understand that while 

compiling them and doing his research 

he never disclosed what he was doing 

to anyone. This is indeed extraordinary. 

Not many young people in this busy 

world today would have the interest 

and determination to work on a matter 

of this nature. I therefore take my hat 

off to Nyaga. 

The collection of pictures shows very 

clearly that Juma Mawalla has led a 

very colourful life – a life of hard work, 

rewarded by admirable achievements. 

Hearty congratulations for that. 

I greatly commend this work to any reader, 

and particularly to other members of the 

Mawalla family. 

Mark D. Bomani 

Advocate and former 

Attorney General of Tanzania. 

Dar es Salaam

INTRODUCTION

Before international borders had 

crystallised, before the lines marking out 

the boundaries of Kenya and Tanzania had 

come into being, there were well-defined 

territories. To the north-west were the 

Maasai. To the north-east, between the 

great mountain and the sea, were the 

Kamba and the Taita. The slopes of the 

majestic mountain, however, belonged 

to the Chagga. 

In those days the lands surrounding 

Kilimanjaro were ruled by kings, princes 

and chiefs whose lineages stretched back 

into a past kept alive in the memories of 

all the Chagga clans. For centuries, they 

had looked from their homes towards the 

peaks of Kilimanjaro, and had given thanks 

for the bounty of the earth surrounding 

the great mountain. So rich was the soil, 

so benevolent the climate, that by the early 

eighteenth century there were around 

seven hundred clans well-established 

on those generous lands. They spoke no 

unified language, although the dialects 

were all related to the languages of the 

Kamba and the Taita, some of whose 

forebears must have been amongst those 

people who first settled that fertile region. 

And among their descendants had been 

a man called Ileti, who around the year 

of 1815, had made his home in the small 

principality of Mrawu in the Kingdom 

of Rombo on the western approaches 

of Kilimanjaro. 

By 1850, Ileti had solidly established his 

dynasty in Rombo. One of his sons, 

a capable and strong left-handed warrior, 

- INTRODUCTION - 

The slopes of Kilimanjaro, fertile and beckoning, 

have always welcomed the clans and families 

who settled within sight of the mountain. 

- 19 - 

had grown up, in the tradition of the family, 

to be hailed as Msongoru, one who walks 

before others and shows them the way, 

and a trusted and wise adviser to the 

ruler. This left-handed warrior was called 

Mawalla, from the Chagga expression 

neke walla, one who gives. 

Always speaking up for the weak, for 

those who could not plead before the 

prince, Mawalla one day angered his 

sovereign. In defending a man who would 

not pay a fine to the ruler for an offence 

which he knew he had not committed, 

Mawalla understood that the punishment 

for his disobedience was death – death 

not only to him, but to all his wives 

and children too. His lands would be 

confiscated, his groves uprooted, his soil 

sown with salt so that nothing would grow 

there again. He decided to flee. 

In the middle of the night, he took his 

wives, among whom was Mbuchu, one 

of the most beautiful women in Mrawu, 

his concubines, his thirty-four children, 

and the brothers who were close to him, 

together with their families – two hundred 

adults in all. With 2 000 head of cattle, he 

led his caravan away from Rombo, to the 

west, towards the kingdoms of Kiruwa 

and Mochiwiye. 

In his path, however, lay the Kingdom 

of Marangu, a region that was greatly 

troubled by the marauding raids of the 

Maasai. It is said that when the Wagweno 

people, seeking lands on which to settle, 

first came to the River Himo and saw

its pleasant sweetness, they called out 

Water, a lot of water! and their words 

Mora, morangu! under the influence of 

European pronunciation, in time became 

remembered as Marangu. 

In Mawalla’s time, the ruler of Marangu 

was Miliari, or Broad Shoulders, whose 

name had also been corrupted by the 

German colonisers, to Marealle. Amongst 

his people was a man well-versed in 

medicine and the art of prediction, called 

Mangalili. It was Mangalili who came to his 

king one day and told him that a fearless 

fighter from Rombo would be wanting 

to pass through his territory, and, as was 

the custom, would offer him a hongo, 

or tax for the right to do so. Mangalili 

was adamant that no matter how large 

the hongo, the man from Rombo should 

not be allowed to leave Marangu. As the 

able and fearless general that he was, 

Mangalili said, this stranger would be the 

one to save Marealle’s lands from the 

depredations of the Maasai. 

Marealle heeded the words of this wise 

man and when Mawalla did indeed arrive 

with his vast retinue, the king welcomed 

him with an open heart. All the caravan 

was housed and fed, and Mawalla himself 

was welcomed with his wife into the 

royal precinct. 

During Mawalla’s extended rest in 

Marangu, made all the more agreeable 

by the liking he and Marealle had taken 

to one another, the Maasai made 

a foraging raid into the territory. The 

resolute and determined Mawalla, with 

his famous left-handed fighting and his 

- INTRODUCTION - 

conspicuous bravery, helped lead the 

king’s army to an emphatic victory. 

Mawalla and his retinue were embraced 

as full citizens of Marangu, and the cattle 

lord from Rombo was granted the entire 

principality of Samanga on the southern 

frontier with the Maasai. As Mangalili had 

predicted, Marangu was never again to 

be troubled by their warlike neighbours 

rampaging through Samanga. 

Despite the fact that Mawalla took more 

wives in Marangu, it was the beautiful 

Mbuchu who gave birth to his first-born 

son in 1885. The boy was named Sawaya, 

and he grew up during the time when the 

Germans were securing their hold on the 

country of Tanganyika. Sawaya knew of 

the vicious struggles among the Chagga 

that left Marealle the most powerful 

man in North Tanganyika, and the cruel 

punishments, like the hanging of sixteen 

Chagga leaders, that were meted out by 

the European colonisers. 

He would have seen too, the building of 

the railways that were opening up the 

country, and the establishment of the 

villages that sprang up alongside it. The 

town of New Moshi spread out from the 

important station that serviced the line 

and as Sawaya grew into manhood, he 

quickly grasped and mastered the trading 

opportunities that presented themselves. 

He established a name as a dependable 

supplier of donkeys, to carry the loads 

of merchandise of the traders who came 

from Mombasa to Marangu. In time, there 

were to be many business transactions 

which he either initiated for others or 

concluded for himself, 

and he grew wealthy as a 

respected and influential 

Msongoru in Marangu. 

The house he built in 

Moshi stands there to 

this day. 

Like his grandfather and 

father before him, Sawaya 

took many wives. The 

eighth among them was 

a woman called Damari. 

After giving birth to a 

daughter, a son came into 

the world. As the second 

child of the eighth of Sawaya’s 

wives, it was not a particularly 

noticeable or auspicious birth. 

Little could anyone know at 

the time that this son would 

be the one to grow up not only 

to continue the great Msongoru 

tradition of the Mawallas, begun 

with the left-handed warrior Mawalla, 

but would far exceed in stature, fame 

and achievements, anything that had 

gone before. 

And it is this son of Sawaya, 

Juma Reginald Sawaya Mawalla, 

whose story we honour with 

this book. 

- 20 - - 21 -

Sawaya Mawalla - 

the father of Juma Mawalla 

1951. 

- INTRODUCTION - - INTRODUCTION - 

Damari Ndowo Mawalla - 

the mother of Juma Mawalla 

1951. 

Mr Juma Mawalla was close to his family, in this picture we see Mzee Joseph Mawalla, 

Mrs Damari Ndowo Mawalla (Mr Mawalla’s mother), Mai Mambore, Shose Mawalla and 

Mzee Joseph Mawalla’s wife. 

1972. 

- 22 - - 23 -

JUMA MAWALLA THE BOY

Juma Mawalla his scouts uniform on a visit home from 

Old Moshi School. With him are his nephews 

1951. 

In Marangu, on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, Juma Mawalla grew 

up to the stories of the exploits and reputations of his father 

Sawaya, and of Mawalla, his left-handed warrior grandfather. 

As the son of Sawaya, Juma well 

understood the weight of his legendary 

history, but for the son of Sawaya’s eighth 

wife, schooling was considered by the 

adults more as a duty to him, rather than 

as a response to the natural promise of the 

boy. Simply to keep him out of the trouble 

into which his elders imagined he might 

be tempted, he was sent off to a Christian 

School. This was despite the natural 

sympathy Sawaya had for Islam, and 

the Islamic echoes in Juma’s name. 

The school that provided him with his first 

basic skills was the Samanga Lutheran 

Bush School. It was there, in those first 

two years, that he learnt his letters and 

numbers and to sing Christian songs. 

For Standard One he was enrolled at 

the Marangu Native Authority School. 

The Germans had long been defeated 

in Europe and it was the British whose 

influence had by then so thoroughly 

been brought to bear. Juma spent the 

next six years of his life at the Marangu 

Native Authority School living within, and 

absorbing the methods and structures of, 

a basic colonial education. 

When it came to Standard Seven, however, 

it was Juma, along with two Marangu 

princes, who was selected to attend the 

prestigious Tabora Upper Secondary 

School in Tabora. This school was intended 

- JUMA MAWALLA THE BOY - 

- 27 - 

by the British to cater to the sons of chiefs, 

to provide the future intelligentsia and 

leaders of the tribes of Tanganyika. 

Juma lived up to the promise his brilliant 

schooling had shown until then. His sense 

of community and dedication was borne 

out in his record of excellence in the Boy 

Scout Movement, which on the 1st of 

October 1952, awarded him the Queen’s 

Badge. He was only the fourth Tanganyikan 

to be honoured with this medal for 

conspicuous bravery, the highest honour 

the Boy Scouts could bestow. In sports, 

he showed his determination, resilience and 

physical prowess. But it was in academics 

that Juma the boy, growing to young 

adulthood in the Msongoru tradition 

of Mawalla and Sawaya, showed his 

continuing brilliance. 

And it was this brilliance that at the end 

of his schooling, ensured Juma Mawalla’s 

selection to the licentiate in Medicine at 

the Makerere College.

With fellow boy scouts at a jamboree in Northern Rhodesia 

1951. 

A newspaper clipping with an article about Juma 

Mawalla being awarded the Queen’s Badge in 

Tabora, Tanganyika. He was the fourth scout in 

Tanganyika to be given such a badge 

1952.

With a fellow scout from England at the 

jamboree in Northern Rhodesia 

1951. 


The certificate awarded to Juma Mawalla for 

showing the qualities of a good scout and 

participating in the Central African jamboree 

held in Nkana, Northern Rhodesia 

1951. 

Among the whole group of boy scouts from East, Central and Southern Africa at the 

jamboree in Northern Rhodesia 

1951. 


In a parade at Tabora Upper School, Tanganyika, during an award ceremony by the Provincial 

Commissioner. The Queen’s Badge was awarded to boy scouts who had shown exemplary 

bravery in the fraternity 

1952. 

The Provincial Commissioner of the Western Province, Mr. T. C. Clarke, presenting Juma Mawalla 

with the most highly honoured medal for boy scouts, the Queen’s Badge, for showing exemplary 

bravery in the fraternity 

Tabora, Tanganyika. 1952. 

- 30 - - 31 -


Juma never forgot his roots. Here he smiles with a friend during a school visit home in Marangu 

1951. 


Juma Mawalla was a brilliant science student who kept meticulous notes. These are pages from his 

chemistry notebook at Tabora Boys Upper School 

1953. 

- 32 - - 33 -

JUMA MAWALLA THE YOUNG MAN

With Violet, a close friend who went on to Kampala University to become 

one of the first female African-educated teachers 

Marangu, Tanganyika, 1955. 

With a prospective career in medicine before him, the young 

man from Marangu nevertheless saw a wider world beckoning, 

a world much wider than the verdant slopes of Kilimanjaro where 

Juma Mawalla had grown into his Msongoru heritage. 

Britain, exhausted from its life-and-death 

struggle against European fascism, could 

not hold onto its empire. The country that 

had once been the jewel in its imperial 

crown, India, had gone through the 

convulsions of independence in 1948, 

and the echoes of its remarkable struggle 

for independence were now being heard 

across Africa. In wanting to encourage the 

new generation of African leaders, Nehru’s 

India was opening study opportunities to 

the continent’s most promising students. 

Juma Mawalla eagerly grasped the chance 

to study economics and political science. 

In the august company of a number of 

young people who would later go on to 

become leading actors on the African 

political and legal stage - and in the case 

of Indira Gandhi - a major figure in both 

the Indian and global arena, he gave 

himself to his studies in Delhi. 

In India, Juma Mawalla’s intellectual 

brilliance shone through everything 

he undertook. In the stimulating and 

academic environment filled with 

the energy and dreams of the young 

independent state, he honed his own 

diplomatic and negotiating skills, the same 

Mawalla skills that in times gone by had 

made the family’s illustrious patriarchs 

famous and universally respected in their 

lands. These were skills that would stand 

him in good stead as the path of his 

studies led him into the cut and thrust 

of the law. 

- JUMA MAWALLA THE YOUNG MAN - 

- 37 - 

Just before his graduation, the Kilimanjaro 

Native Co-operative Union, or KNCU as 

it is still known, announced scholarships 

for studies in the United Kingdom. Once 

again, the direction of his interests 

changed. Duly awarded the scholarship he 

sought, Juma was ready to begin all over 

again. Enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the 

University of London, he devoted himself 

to the study of the discipline that would 

absorb him for the rest of his life – the law. 

And it was on the 19th of November 1956 

that he was admitted to the Honourable 

Society of Lincoln’s Inn, the famous legal 

chambers in London. 

There followed four more years of legal 

study until on the 1st of August 1960 he 

was awarded his LLB degree. On the 

22nd of November of that same year, he 

was called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn as 

an Utter Barrister, the first Tanganyikan 

ever to have achieved this singular 

accomplishment. 

By now the winds of change that British 

Prime Minister Harold Macmillan had so 

clear-sightedly predicted, were indeed 

blowing through the African continent. 

In Tanganyika Julius Nyerere was leading 

the struggle for independence, and Juma 

Mawalla, sensing that he had a place and a 

role in the nascent country, decided to put 

on hold the chance to complete his LLM at 

Yale University, and return to the land of 

his birth.

Juma Mawalla maintained a very close relationship with the chieftains in Chaggaland. 

Here he is standing with his close friend, the son of Chief Lemunge 

Old Moshi, Tanganyika, 1955. 

The son of Chief Lemunge 

Tanganyika, 1955. 


- 39 -

With his British teacher who took him in when 

he fell ill while studying in India. She later 

referred him to Mrs. Mabel who was to play 

a huge role in his life 

India, 1955. 

- JUMA MAWALLA THE YOUNG MAN - - JUMA MAWALLA THE YOUNG MAN - 

With the daughter of his British teacher 

India, 1955. 

With the family of his British teacher during the time he stayed with her. At the far left is Mr. Karanji 

India, 1955. 

Juma Mawalla was an avid debater and participated in many debates regarding the decolonisation 

process in commonwealth countries. Here he is appearing before a debating party 

India, 1956. 

- 40 - - 41 -

At a social gathering of foreign students 

India, 1956. 


With Mr. Karanji and two colleagues from Ethiopia at the same social gathering of foreign students 

India, 1956. 

- 42 - - 43 -

With his teachers at the University of Delhi 

India, 1956. 


Juma Mawalla as he set out on the path of his career with his studies for a degree in Economics on a K.N.C.U. 

Scholarship. With him are Mrs. Indira Gandhi, M. H. Ziva, Ambrose Wol, Kabutu, G. Karani and J. Karanji, all of 

whom went on to hold influential posts in their respective countries 

Delhi, India 1955 – 1956. 

- 44 - - 45 -


Juma Mawalla is shaking hands with Nnamdi Azikiwe, the former head of state of Nigeria, 

at East Africa House 

London, England, 1958. 

The former Head of state of Nigeria meeting with Mrs. Mabel, 

Juma Mawalla’s sponsor and mentor, at East Africa House 

London, England, 1958. 

With friends during the time he was studying for 

a masters degree at Yale University 

Connecticut, USA, 1958. 

- 46 - - 47 - 

With his friend in America 

Connecticut, USA, 1958.

On a sight-seeing trip 

USA, 1958. 


- 48 - 

Close friends Florence Josem and her 

husband Milton 

Connecticut, USA, 1958. 

Juma Mawalla had a great love for children. 

Here he is holding a child during his studies in America 

USA, 1958.

Posing with friends 

USA, 1958. 

With friends while studying at Yale University 

Boston, USA, 1958. 


- 51 -

With friends while travelling in England, Scotland and Ireland 

United Kingdom, 1958 - 1959.


While still a member of the Communist Party, Juma Mawalla travelled across Europe. 

Here he is with friends during that trip 

Germany, 1958 - 1959. 

Further east on his journey across Europe 

Poland, 1958 - 1959. 

With friends in the Eastern Bloc on his journey across Europe 

Poland, 1958 - 1959. 

- 54 - - 55 -

During his travels across Europe 

Germany, 1958 - 1959. 

With Eastern European friends in a relaxing 

moment on his journey 

Poland, 1958 - 1959. 


Another moment with friends while travelling 

across Europe 

Poland, 1958 - 1959. 

Being received in Eastern Europe as a visiting member of the communist party 

1958 - 1959. 

- 57 -

On his journey across Europe 

Poland, 1956 - 1959. 


In a friendly moment with officials 

Poland, 1958 - 1959. 

- 58 - - 59 -


Juma Mawalla was always ready to embrace the culture of others. Here he is wearing a Kolpic 

Poland, 1958 - 1959. 

With a group of Poles during his travels across Europe 

Poland, 1958 - 1959. 

- 60 - - 61 -

…and with a group of Germans… 

Germany, 1958 - 1959. 


Among friends from Europe 

Germany, 1958 - 1959. 

- 62 - - 63 -

Planting Peace Trees during his travels across Europe 

Germany, 1958 - 1959. 


On the ferry from the United Kingdom to Holland 

1958 - 1959. 

- 64 - - 65 -

With the delegation of communist party representatives in Germany 

1958 - 1959.


Smiling on the steps of an imposing facade during his travels in Europe 

1958 - 1959. 

Sharing a moment of friendship with a Polish lady 

Poland, 1958 - 1959. 

- 68 - - 69 -

Among a group of children 

Russia, 1959.

Juma Mawalla in London with a classmate 

England, 1958. 


In London with a close Nigerian friend 


- 72 - - 73 -

With friends during his time studying to become a lawyer 

England, 1958.

Capturing his own memories with his camera in London 



Despite his active involvement in the UK Communist Party 

Juma Mawalla nevertheless believed in capitalist and market-driven 

principles. Here he is on a visit to the Lord Mayor of Canterbury 


While in England, Juma Mawalla visited many judges. 

Here is his picture of Lord Denning, Master of the Rolls 

- 77 -

Juma Mawalla and his close friend Renata in London. 



With Renata among friends in London 


- 78 - - 79 -

With friends at a gathering at East African House in London. 



Mrs. Mabel, a wealthy Jewish woman living in London, who helped foreign students obtain their 

education and return to their countries as skilled professionals. She was both a sponsor and mentor 

to Juma Mawalla during his studies in the UK, and had a direct impact on his life since welcoming 

him from India in 1956. She died in 1990 

- 80 - - 81 -

Juma Mawalla and Mrs. Mabel in London 

England, 1960.

Juma Mawalla on the doorstep of his newly-bought apartment 

in London which he acquired while studying there 

England, 1956 - 1960. 


Renata outside Juma Mawalla’s apartment in London 

England, 1955 - 1960. 

- 84 - - 85 -


Mr Juma Mawalla’s exposure to the 

U.S Judiciary system is captured 

in this article 

1959. 

- 86 - - 87 -

JUMA MAWALLA THE LAWYER

Juma Mawalla in London after being called 

to the bar as an Utter Barrister 


The beckoning world of the law at the heart 

of the British justice system was not enough, 

however, to keep this motivated practitioner 

so far away from the majestic landscapes of 

the country of his boyhood and youth. 

in 1960, with Julius Nyerere’s activism 

beginning to bear fruit, and Tanganyikan 

independence from Britain already visible on 

the horizon, the young and idealistic barrister 

turned his eyes towards his homeland, and 

made the journey back to Tanganyika. There 

he founded his own law firm, Kibo Chambers. 

With the certificate of admission of his new 

practice having been granted on the 31st 

October 1961, and his own admission as an 

advocate ratified on the same day by Her 

Majesty’s Court of Tanganyika, Juma 

Mawalla set out on the distinguished path 

that would make him one of the country’s 

most respected and admired legal minds. 

As his career flourished, the firm he had 

established grew into the most prestigious 

in the country that in 1964 became known as 

Tanzania. His abilities were soon to become 

recognised beyond the borders of his own 

land, as on the 21st of November 1966, he 

signed the Roll of Advocates of the High 

Court of Kenya, entitling him now to practise 

as an advocate in that country too. 

There were to be ideological clashes, 

however, and difficult times for Kibo 

Chambers, as in 1973 President Nyerere 

made public what became inscribed in 

Tanzanian history as the Arusha Declaration, 

when the by now famous law firm’s building 

was nationalised. The Ujamaa policies 

that encapsulated the president’s socialist 

- JUMA MAWALLA THE LAWYER - 

With the world at his feet in London, the young man Juma Mawalla 

had taken on new responsibilities – those of a highly qualified 

barrister at one of the most distinguished Inns of Court in England. 

- 91 - 

vision and its Africanist cultural context, 

forbade all private ownership. It would not 

be until 1995 that the order confiscating Kibo 

Chambers building would be rescinded. 

In those interim years, however, the name 

of Juma Mawalla continued to grow in the 

esteem not only of his peers, but also in 

the eyes of all who came to know him as 

a committed advocate, a fearless adversary, 

and a highly respected negotiator. With an 

understanding drawn from endless hours 

spent waiting in the corridors of litigation, 

Juma Mawalla embraced the concept of 

making the most productive use of time 

as a highly-prized value – one to which 

he would adhere throughout his life. 

His brilliance in the law was to be matched 

by his devotion to its role as an instrument 

of peace and of international cooperation. 

As early as 1961, his contribution to public 

service was recognised by his participation 

at the Conference for Africa and the Middle 

East on World Peace Through the Rule 

of Law. In 1962 he was a delegate at the 

International Congress of Lawyers held in 

South America. He was elected in 1982 as 

one of only forty members worldwide of the 

exclusive International Commission of Jurists, 

and after serving on this august body for 

fifteen years, he was inducted as an honorary 

member. Within the continent of Africa, he 

served also on the Pan African Union of 

Lawyers and the African Bar Association. 

The tradition of Msongoru, handed down 

through generations of Mawallas before him, 

was indeed being kept illustriously alive by 

Juma Mawalla.

In London, Juma Mawalla enrolled for further 

studies at the University of London and 

obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree 



- 92 - 

In 1956 Juma Mawalla was admitted to the 

Honourable Society at Lincoln’s Inn and was 

called as an Utter Barrister in 1960, the first 

person in Tanganyika ever to achieve this 


Another portrait of Juma Mawalla in London 

after being called to the bar as an Utter Barrister 

England, 1960.

Juma Mawalla’s outstanding public service was 

recognized with the award of this certificate 

in Lagos during the Conference for Africa and 

Middle East Lawyers for World Peace through 

the Rule of Law 

Nigeria, 1961. 


The certificate of membership awarded to Juma 

Mawalla in Lagos during the Conference for 

Africa and Middle East Lawyers for World Peace 

through the Rule of Law 

Nigeria, 1961. 

Juma Mawalla was granted his Certificate of 

Admission of Advocate by Her Majesty’s High 

Court of Tanganyika 

1961. 


- 94 - - 95 - 

The Certificate of Registration of Kibo Chambers 

1961.

It shows the dedication of Juma Mawalla to his 

profession and the compassion for people 

who could not afford legal services. 

1983. 


These images named 1960, 1993 and 2000 

show the development of the company. 

Juma Mawalla a firm believer in human 

rights is seen here in this article 

defending the rights of Hawa Mohamed, 

who was entitled to an equal share of her 

husband’s property after their divorce. 


- 96 - - 97 - 

Mr Juma Mawalla took legal aid cases (probono) and in this 

particular case he was defending one hundred families from 

eviction from a thousand acre farm 

Mr Juma Mawalla was trained by an Irish lawyer called 

Mr Cassidy who used to take on the most controversial cases, 

in this case he is advocating the right of bars to stay open.

Juma Mawalla among delegates at 

the International Congress of Lawyers 

South America, 1962.


…and socialising after the Congress with fellow lawyers… 

South America, 1962. 

...there were many friendly exchanges 

South America, 1962. 


- 100 - - 101 -

JUMA MAWALLA THE MAN

Juma Mawalla 

All the idealism that had brought Juma Mawalla back to his 

homeland, together with all the possibilities and hopes that 

political independence embraced, were eroded during the 

course of the hard years in which the policies of Ujamaa 

were relentlessly pursued. 

The able lawyer, with his vision of the 

centrality of the law in safeguarding the 

rights and aspirations of the individual, 

saw his ability to function severely 

curtailed with the loss of the Kibo 

Chambers building he had constructed 

in Moshi. It was all the more heartbreaking 

to see how the ideal with which he had so 

strongly indentified had been turned into 

an instrument that blunted the spirit of 

entrepreneurship and innovation. Never 

a man to bow to the pressures of the 

unyielding world, Juma Mawalla, in the 

spirit of his enterprising forebears, turned 

to other ventures to supplement his 

continuing practice of the law. 

In partnership with an Englishwoman 

whose parents hailed from London, he 

entered into a poultry and food processing 

business. Kibo Poultry and Kibo Food 

Processing, established in 1971, went some 

way to replacing the losses that had been 

incurred in the legal practice 

by nationalisation policies. 

Always the upholder of the rights 

of the ordinary person, Juma Mawalla 

became the pioneer of the first legal 

aid clinic in Tanzania. By 1977 he was 

established as the most active of all 

Tanzania’s human rights lawyers, the 

great legal presence acting not simply 

as a lawyer, but also as a man, out of his 

highly principled humanity. 

- JUMA MAWALLA THE MAN - 

- 105 - 

Other public service roles beckoned 

as well. He became a distinguished 

member of the board of East African 

Airways, a position he held for a long 

period of time, serving with no less energy 

and dedication than he devoted to all his 

other pursuits. He was active too on the 

East African University Council in Nairobi, 

and was mentor and guide to many scores 

of young lawyers. It was for all these 

commitments and legal achievements 

that in the first decade of the new 

millennium, Juma Mawalla was honoured 

with a lifetime award by the Tanganyika 

Law Society. 

Living with Margaret Mawalla, and the 

father of many children, Juma Mawalla, 

the man, like his father and grandfather 

before him, was always the inspiring 

and proud bearer of the mantle of the 

Mawalla clan. It is the obligations and 

responsibilities of this mantle of Msongoru, 

handed down from the first days of the 

enterprising warrior and adviser of kings 

who had established the tradition of 

leadership, service, ability and success, 

that Juma Mawalla has embraced 

throughout his life.


The house at Marangu where Juma Mawalla has lived since 1962 

Tanganyika. 

Juma Mawalla in Marangu, playing badminton 

Tanganyika, 1963. 


- 106 - - 107 -


Above left: In front of his residence in Moshi 

Town upon its completion 

Tanzania, 1965. 

Above: On the right is Juma Mawalla’s mother, 

Ndowo Damari Mawalla. Third from the right is 

his sister Mrs. Janet Temu. Juma Mawalla had 

a great love and respect for his mother and 

sisters 

Tanzania. 

Left: A close friend of Juma Mawalla’s, who 

taught at Ashira Girls’ Secondary School in 

Moshi, standing in front of his Moshi Residence 

upon its completion. 


Right: Juma Mawalla was admitted to practise 

as an advocate by the High Court of Kenya. 

1965. 


Mr Juma Mawalla had a deep and profound love for his sisters, in this picture his beloved sister 

Joyce Mawalla was marrying Dr. Archibald Marealle 

1962. 

- 108 - - 109 -


This article in 1962 on Gabriel Mawalla 

(Juma Mawalla’s step brother) shows 

the high standards set by the Mawalla’s 

in the 60’s 


- 110 - - 111 -

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Juma Mawalla understood the value of this folk 

wisdom, and recreation was always part of his life. Here he is enjoying a break in Manyara 

National Park 


A view of the beautiful Lake Manyara 



Reading a newspaper in a moment of relaxation 

amidst the natural beauty of Manyara 



- 112 - - 113 -


Mark Bomani, the former Attorney General of Tanzania, at his wedding to Rahma Mwapachu. 

Juma Mawalla and Charles Njonjo, the Attorney General of Kenya, both stood as Best Men at the 

ceremony. Mark Bomani and Juma Mawalla remain close friends and share many ideas on social 

and economic matters 



Juma Mawalla acting as Godfather at the baptism of baby Fisha Nsilo Swai at Machame 


- 114 - - 115 -


The Tanganyika police headquarters in Dar-es-Salaam where Geoffrey Sawaya had his offices 

1967. 

Geoffrey Sawaya and Peter Kisumo at Moshi, planting trees during the inauguration of the building 

of CCP, whose construction Geoffrey Sawaya also oversaw 



Geoffrey Sawaya, Commissioner for Police in Tanganyika, a brother and extremely close friend of 

Juma Mawalla 


Geoffrey Sawaya at CCP Moshi with Juma Mawalla in the black suit 


- 116 - - 117 -

Juma Mawalla’s Kibo Chambers offices under construction. The building was later nationalised 

under the Ujamaa Policies outlined in the Arusha Declaration in 1973 which defined a socialism 

in which all private ownership was banned. Under the direction of former President Ali Hassan 

Mwinyi, the building was later returned 

Tanzania, 1967.

Juma Mawalla was appointed to represent the government of Tanzania as a director of East 

African Airways, and was involved in the purchase of many aircraft including the VC 10 

1967.

Juma Mawalla at a joint airline meeting in Nairobi 

Kenya, 1967. 



In Nairobi with Representatives of East African Airways. In the centre 

is Mama Ngina Kenyatta, wife of the former President of Kenya 

Kenya, 1967. 

Juma Mawalla in Nairobi with fellow directors of East African Airways 

Kenya, 1967. 

- 122 - - 123 -


In Washington DC at negotiations for the purchase of aircraft for East African Airways 

USA, 1967. 

Meeting resident representatives of East African Airways in India 

1967. 

In Washington DC with Chief Abdalla Fundikira, 

negotiating the purchase of the new DC 10 with 

McDonnell Douglas representatives 

1967. 


- 124 - - 125 - 

In Washington DC with Chief Abdalla Fundikira, 

concluding the purchase of the new DC 10 with 

McDonnell Douglas representatives 

1967.


Juma Mawalla with a magistrate, reviewing a crime scene during 

one of the numerous trials in which he appeared as an advocate 



A close friend of Juma Mawalla, Shol Wade, a prominent Nigerian lawyer 

who was also a magistrate for a short time in Tanzania 

1967. 

Shol Wade and his family in Nigeria. Even after completion of his duties 

in Tanzania he still kept up his close friendship with Juma Mawalla 

- 126 - - 127 -

Juma Mawalla at a board meeting of the East African Airways 

Corporation at the Hong Kong Hilton Hotel. Seated at the far end of the 

table is the chairman Abdalla Fundikira. The secretary was F B Mahatane 

Hong Kong, 1969.


Juma Mawalla enjoying the cuisine and embracing the culture of Hong Kong 

1969. 


Enjoying a meal with representatives of the East African Airways Corporation 

Hong Kong, 1969. 

- 130 - - 131 -


With the East African Airways Resident Representative 

Hong Kong, 1969. 


With colleagues during the East African Airways meeting in Hong Kong 

1969. 

- 132 - - 133 -


Always an avid litigator, Juma Mawalla in Tanga meeting with the public prosecutor before an 

important trial 



Juma Mawalla in Tanga with the public prosecutor after finalising an important trial 


- 134 - - 135 -

- JUMA MAWALLA THE MAN - - JUMA MAWALLA THE MAN - 

Juma Mawalla loved his mother very much and often invited her to various trials he 

conducted in the country. Here he is with her outside the court house in Tanga 


Two of Juma and Margret Mawalla’s children. Juma Mawalla Junior 

is reading a newspaper and Ndowo Mawalla lying down 

- 136 - - 137 - 

1973.

In Nairobi with a friend 

Kenya, 1977. 


In Nairobi 

Kenya, 1977. 


- 138 - - 139 -

Juma Mawalla in Nairobi showing his great affection for children 

Kenya, 1977.


A newspaper article reporting the election of 

Juma Mawalla as a member of the International 

Commission of Jurists (ICJ) 

1985. 


Juma Mawalla in Geneva at a meeting of the International Commission of Jurists 

Switzerland, 1988. 

In Bangalore at the Triennial Meeting and Conference on Economic, Social and 

Cultural Rights and The Role of Lawyers for the International Commission Of Jurists 

India, 1995. 

- 142 - - 143 -


Juma Mawalla relaxing in his Marangu Residence 

2009. 

The Presiding Judge Manetho at Juma Mawalla’s 

Moshi home in Marangu during a short function 

held in honour of his visit 


Juma Mawalla as we know him today, 

enjoying a meal during the function 


- 144 - - 145 - 


Judge Manetho in Marangu shaking hands with 

Mrs. Margaret Juma Mawalla at the Moshi home 


Juma Mawalla and Judge Manetho 

at the function 

Tanzania, 2005.

EPILOGUE

- EPILOGUE - 

When the resourceful Ileti, who first came to Mrawu in the 

Kingdom of Rombo, to establish himself there as a capable 

and strong man, a confidant of the ruler, he could scarcely 

have imagined the heights to which his descendants would rise. 

Mawalla, his son, was the fearsome lefthanded 

warrior and adviser to kings 

and princes who moved away under 

duress to found a flourishing home in 

Marangu. There he bequeathed his name 

to the family, and added the weight of 

his achievements to the already proud 

tradition. And it was in Marangu that his 

son Sawaya built upon his legacy to create 

a prosperous trading dynasty that firmly 

established the family in its position of 

leadership and accomplishment. 

But it was to be a boy, the second child 

of an eighth wife to Sawaya, who was to 

prove to be the equal of all those who 

came before. It was to be Juma Mawalla 

who would take the strength, ability and 

determination that had been handed down 

through the Mawalla generations and take 

them into new vistas of possibility beyond 

the horizons of his homeland and into the 

wide world beyond it. 

His vision would take him from the 

academic halls of India to the corridors 

of universities in England and even as far 

as the united States. His abilities would see 

him admitted to Inns of Court in England, 

where he followed his vocation in the law 

to become the first of his countrymen 

ever to be called to the bar. 

A jovial, charismatic and powerful 

- EPILOGUE - 

- 148 - - 149 - 

personality, his love of debate, his 

determination to understand cultures 

other than his own, his fluent abilities in 

Chagga, the language of his ancestors, as 

well as in English and Swahili have always 

endeared him to a wide and diverse circle 

of friends. 

His exposure in his travels to the thoughts 

and practices of others only served to 

broaden his views, and to strengthen his 

own ideals of the rights of individuals 

to make their own ways in the world. 

And it was his dedication to this ideal of 

independence that brought him back 

to his homeland, just as it too was 

throwing off the shackles of colonial rule. 

His commitment to justice would see him 

recognised internationally in some of 

the most august and prestigious of legal 

bodies, and it was this same dedication to 

justice that made him a pioneer in helping 

to establish and provide access to the law 

for those who would not otherwise have 

had any redress. His commercial success 

ensured that his legacy in the practise 

of the law could continue in the spirit of 

entrepreneurship and enterprise that he 

always prized so highly. 

More than all this, however, Juma Mawalla, 

the boy, the young man, the lawyer, the 

man, also became a father who served

as an example to his family, as much 

as he was a mentor and guide to the 

many whom he encouraged, taught and 

supported in their own legal careers. 

A strict disciplinarian, he has always 

expected those around him to be as 

devoted to hard work as he has been 

throughout his life. Holding himself to 

the highest of standards, he has never 

easily tolerated failure. His family and 

close associates have learnt from him the 

value of routine, the value of physical, as 

much as mental, discipline, as well as the 

honesty and focus that have contributed 

to his sheer brilliance as a trial lawyer. 

A certain reluctance to compromise, 

and an unwillingness to bend once his 

opinions have been formed, while they 

have made him a rich man, have not made 

him a wealthy one. However, these traits 

too have proven a lesson to those close 

to him because in observing them, they 

have come to understand the affirming 

importance of flexibility. His resolute 

character, his unwavering determination 

- EPILOGUE - 

to follow the clarity of his thought 

with unambiguous action, have been 

fundamental in moulding the perceptions 

of both family and colleagues. Strictness 

in diet, combined with great prudence 

with alcohol, have given him the restraint 

and authority to deliver on all his goals 

– something he decisively expects from 

those around him. 

Admired and acknowledged for his 

achievements by his peers, Juma Mawalla, 

in his own lifetime, has built upon the great 

traditions of his heritage, outshining them, 

redefining them, so that in time, when the 

deeds of the Mawallas are recounted in 

newer generations, he will be remembered 

as truly as his ancestors had been, as the 

quintessential Msongoru, the one who 

walks in front. 

- EPILOGUE - 

- 150 - - 151 -

THE STORY OF A MAN - Home

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