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On this day, Mwanakwetu was reading a passage about his friend Hon. Eugene Wamalwa, who once served as Kenya’s Minister of Justice and later Minister of Water under the Azimio la Umoja party.
While reading, Mwanakwetu received a phone call and spoke briefly with a relative. After the conversation, he felt sleepy and lay down. As he drifted off, he remembered an incident from 2014 in Mbagala village, Temeke, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
On that day, he went to Mianzini Ward in Mbagala Constituency to visit a relative known as Jamila Ngogo—a woman originally from Lushoto—to get a cat. At his home, Mwanakwetu had many rats that were causing serious disturbance, even damaging his books, especially his dictionaries.
When he arrived at the woman’s place , she gave him a small white female cat. On his way back, he passed by another acquaintance named Bawji Athuman Mbwana to request a male cat, since the first one was female.
Background for readers:
“Bawji Athuman Mbwana belonged to a family that once owned the SANI newspaper when it was still a magazine. He contested parliamentary seats several times under CUF, often coming second. Had CHADEMA not participated, he might have become MP for Kigamboni or later Mbagala. Eventually, he returned to CCM and contested again before later leaving politics.)”
After leaving Jamila Ngogo’s place in Bondeni (Mianzini), Mwanakwetu went uphill near the main road to Chamanzi to Bawji’s home. There, the guards gave him a small black male cat. He placed it in a bag and boarded a daladala (minibus), traveling from Mianzini to Mbagala Rangitatu, then onward to Sabasaba.
During the journey, passengers laughed at him because the cats were meowing loudly. The conductor said:
“Please don’t be surprised by the cats’ noise—some people are just heading to work with their tools. Be patient, passengers.”
At that time, motorcycle taxis (bodaboda) were just starting to become common. When Mwanakwetu arrived at Sabasaba, the conductor even wished him success in his job.
On his way home in Mbagala Bugudadi, the cats kept making noise. Along the road, an elder named Chande—originally from Morogoro and a local CCM leader—called out:
“You, child of Francis Makwega, why are you carrying cats at night?”
The elder recognized him because he had studied with Mwanakwetu’s father. Mwanakwetu explained that he had many rats at home and needed the cats. The elder laughed and asked for kittens once they reproduced. Mwanakwetu agreed.
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A little further on, he met his former mathematics teacher from primary school, Mama Bandio, who also asked about the cats. He gave the same explanation, and she too requested kittens in the future.
The cats settled well at his home and reproduced, giving birth to many kittens of mixed colors—some black, some white. Two resembled their parents exactly: one entirely black like the father, and one entirely white like the mother.
The cats became active and useful. Feeding them was easy, but when Mwanakwetu traveled (for example, to broadcast parliamentary programs in Dodoma), a neighboring woman and her daughters helped take care of them.
Eventually, he gave some kittens to Mama Bandio and Mzee Chande as promised.
Life continued well. The large black male cat grew intimidating, and people feared it, saying:
“This black cat of the TBC Taifa broadcaster looks straight through you—its eyes glow like fire.”
At the time, Mwanakwetu was building a large house. Construction materials like steel bars and cement bags were left outside, but no one dared to steal anything—likely because of the fear of the cat.
A neighbor even remarked that people believed Mwanakwetu was dangerous and that the cats were some kind of mystical protection. However, another neighbor, Donatea, clarified to others that the cats were simply for controlling rats and not related to superstition.
This situation continued until the house was completed. The cats multiplied and spread throughout the Mbagala Bugudadi area, with some remaining to guard the property, which is now occupied by tenants.
Today, Mwanakwetu reflects on this story. He is happy that his cats still provide security for neighbors and that if he ever needs them again, he can easily get them from his tenants, his former teacher, or Mzee Chande.
He reminds readers:
“Some people go to work with their tools.”
Have a good day.
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