Secretariat clarifies payments issue in EAC anthem saga

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta shakes hands with Tanzanian President John Magufuli as Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni looks on during the 19th Ordinary Summit of the East African Community Heads of State in Entebbe on February 22, 2018. PHOTO | STRINGER | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Officials say that Joseph Mugango from Tanzania pocketed $2,000 (Sh4.6 million) as the cash prize for composing the EAC anthem.
  • Three people, representing the national choirs of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were awarded $3,000, $2,000 and $1,500 respectively as cash prizes.
  • The secretariat notes that none of the three compositions was picked to be the EAC anthem as a committee settled for a hybrid.
  • The hybrid was approved as the official anthem of the community during the Heads of State Summit held in Arusha in December 2010, for use during occasions of regional significance.

The East African Community (EAC) has refuted reports that one of the composers of the regional anthem, who is from Tanzania, has not been paid.

Officials of the secretariat told The Citizen on Friday that Joseph Mugango, a musician-cum-teacher from Kagera region, pocketed a cash prize of $2,000 (Sh4.6 million) for composing an anthem.

SOLE COMPOSER

Mr Bernard Lubega Bakaye, the secretariat's principal culture and sports officer, also denied the impression that the Tanzanian musician was the overall winner of the competition or the sole composer.

"Nobody can claim ownership of the EAC anthem. It is a hybrid of songs composed by musicians from Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya," he said when contacted.

Mr Bakaye explained that after the secretariat invited singers and musicians from across the region to compose the anthem around 2005, scores of entries were received from the three countries.

The best composition was by Mr Richard L. Khadambi from Kenya, he said, adding Mr Mugango and Joseph Wasswa from Uganda emerged second and third respectively.

HYBRID

Mr Mugango's composition, which emerged second best, was titled 'Mungu Ibariki Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki'.

The trio, representing the national choirs of each of the three countries, were awarded $3,000, $2,000 and $1,500 respectively as cash prizes.

The three winners were rewarded in 2005 at the Natural History Museum in Arusha, a ceremony that EAC heavyweights, including the then Secretary-General Amanya Mushega and ex-Speaker Abdulrahman Kinana, attended.

Mr Bakaye, however, also noted that none of the three compositions was picked to be the EAC anthem.

Instead, the technical committee from the three countries, which oversaw the process, decided on a hybrid song made up of stanzas from the three entries.

"There was no cash prize for the final version and no individual winner. The financial rewards [matter] was concluded at the countries' entry level," he said.

WINNING COMPOSITION

The winning composition of the hybrid song was presented to the EAC Council of Ministers in November 2005.

It was approved as the official anthem of the community during the Heads of State Summit held in Arusha in December 2010, for use during occasions of regional significance.

During the just-ended parliamentary session in Dodoma, Marth Mlata, a Special Seats member of parliament under Chama Cha Mapinduzi, wanted the government to follow up on the payment for the Tanzanian composer

Dr Damas Ndumbaro, the deputy minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, said the ministry sent the request to the EAC secretariat.

"Until today (Friday), we have not received the letter,," affirmed another official of the regional organisation, noting that records on how the anthem was composed and details of the winners were with the Tanzanian ministry.