Take Away the Gun, Give Him a Microphone

 

Adeladius Makwega–Musoma

 

On 29 May 2026, Mwanakwetu was among the government officials who accompanied the Mara Regional Commissioner, Colonel Evans Alfred Mtambi, as he officiated the launch of a new radio station in the Mara Region known as GM 97.3 FM Radio, based in Musoma Town.

During the visit, Colonel Mtambi began by touring the station’s facilities. He first entered the administration office, followed by the programme production room, then the newsroom, and finally the main broadcasting studio.

Earlier, the station manager—a slim, tall, light-skinned lady whose name Mwanakwetu did not catch—addressed the Regional Commissioner, saying:

“Our radio has several programmes, including a one-hour magazine programme. We also relay DW Kiswahili broadcasts from Bonn, Germany. These air in the morning, afternoon, and evening, amounting to three hours within a 24-hour day.”

At this point, Colonel Mtambi was invited to take a seat in the studio. A wide range of topics were discussed, including livestock keeping, agriculture, business, and security. Four listeners called in to ask questions, all of which the Colonel answered with great clarity.

As the discussion continued, Colonel Mtambi requested various songs, while the presenters searched for them in their digital music library on the studio computer.

At one point, someone in the studio whispered:

“Was the Regional Commissioner once a presenter? Why is he so composed on the microphone? Should we take away the gun and give him a microphone?”

The remark was made very quietly, as the broadcast was live and any audible conversation could have been picked up by listeners. Those who heard the comment chuckled softly.

 

Mwanakwetu was seated near the presenters, with a clear view of their computer screen.

At one moment, Colonel Mtambi requested a song that was not available in the station’s computer database. The presenter, Patrick Mnubi, quickly opened YouTube, searched for the song, found it, and played it directly—without the Regional Commissioner realising that it was not part of the station’s official music library.

This incident reminded Mwanakwetu of how radio stations operated many years ago in the analogue era, particularly how presenters and programme producers selected songs for broadcast.

“In those days, song requests were received via postal mail. The presenter or producer would go to the record library, select the appropriate vinyl, and bring it into the studio. After reading out the request letter, the technician would play the selected tracks. This was common in programmes such as RTD’s ‘Listener’s Choice’, before the advent of computers.

When computers were introduced, many songs were transferred from vinyl records into digital systems. Once a song was selected, the technician, engineer, or DJ could quickly locate and play it. Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), for example, uses a Japanese system called MYRIAD, which contains multiple digital ‘carts’ holding songs, programme jingles, and even full shows. For instance, cart number 2025 might contain the song ‘Magreth’ by Dar International, while cart number 2026 could hold a health programme, and cart number 2027 a jingle for the ‘Zilipendwa’ programme. Songs can be searched by title, composer, band name, or cart number.

In contrast, stations such as DW Kiswahili use an internal network containing only licensed content. Presenters are strictly prohibited from playing any song not included in the authorised library, in order to avoid legal action and potential financial penalties for copyright infringement.”

On this particular day—29 May 2026—all songs requested by the Mara Regional Commissioner were successfully played, without listeners knowing whether they were sourced locally or online. The availability of the internet and the transition from analogue to digital technology have greatly simplified broadcasting work.

Mwanakwetu shares this account to preserve a record of Colonel Mtambi’s visit to GM 97.3 FM Radio in Musoma. Many issues were discussed in the studio before the Colonel proceeded to officially launch the station.

Mwanakwetu, are you there? Remember:

“Take away the gun, give him a microphone.”

I wish you a pleasant day.

makwadeladius@gmail.com
0717649257