THE Tanganyika law society Mbeya Chapter has commended
retired Justice Samweli karua for immersely contributing to the development of
law in its various forms in the country for the past 31years.
This comment was made by the chairman of the Tanganyika law
society , mbeya chapter ,Advocate victor Mkumbe on his farewell speech upon
Justice karua’s retirement at a farewell ceremony held at the high court hall
in mbeya recently.
Recounting the history on his speech , advocate mkumbe said hon. Justice karua was a
resident magistrate in mbeya for
several years , before his appointment as a judge
of the high court.
However, he said that the
profiles of the high office of a judge did not make him a
different person, from the one we knew as a resident magistrate.
Advocate mkumbe added in his speech that, judge karua’s
character of respect to people of all
walks of life ,not only in the court building ,but also out of the precincts of
the court ,did not change.
Mkumbe described retired judge karua as ahero and a good
example to emulate ,whom the nation shall never
easily forget ,because of
his commitments to the job which he has
served for the past 31 years.
‘’he was always affable and
friendly ,and was not at all carried away by his hiss office ‘’, the
advocate said.
Mkumbe said,’’it is
difficult to choose which subject in law hon.justice karua had excelled
,because there are so many excellent decisions he had made at the bench’’.
Speaking about karua’s life
history ,Mkumbe said the former judge was born at sokomatola location,in
the city of mbeya 62 years ago.
This area has over the years had occasion to welcome and host
seven past and present leaders of Africa like the late president of
Malawi,dr.hastings kamuzu banda , who in 1958 passed through mbeya from Ghana
on his way to Malawi,where he had been practicing as a medical doctor.
Mkumbe said in his speech that,banda had been persuaded by
mwalimu nyerere to go back home to fight for that country’s independence.
So he was welcomed and was hosted by the late john mwakangale
,then a political heavyweight in mbeya ,at sokomatola.
He said,the former Zambian president ,Kenneth Kaunda had in
1955 also been hosted by the same John Mwakangale ,after being expelled for
political reason as a teacher at Munali school in the then Northern Rhodesia
,now Zambia.
Other prominent leaders who were guests of mzee John
mwakangale and were hosted at sokomatola was the Late Mzee Nelson Mandela, who
fled from South Africa in 1960 and Sam Nujoma of Namibia in 1962respectively.
Mkumbe also named some other leaders as the former president
of Mozambique the late Samora Machel, Joseph Kabila and his Late father Laurent
kabilafrom congo DRC.
The Tanganyika law society Mbeya chapterchairman,concludedhis
powerful speechby recounting this brief history ,to show that sokomatola is
unique for producing eminent persons that include hon.justice karua who bade
fareware to the bar recently.
The ceremony was also attended by hon.justice
chocha,hon.madamjustice ngwala,invited guests and some other government
leaders.