Dar es Salaam, Nov. 29 -- MY father was

My father was a politician, but first, he was a patriot. My father was the former Minister of Home Affairs, who considered his post a sacred trust. My father was Secretary General of CCM in Zanzibar, a leader whose authority rested not on fear, but on honor. My father was a journalist, the esteemed editor of Uhuru and Mzalendo, who held the pen like a sword of truth.

It is hard to write My father was because he still is the root of who I am.

Today, I stand as a journalist because of the clear, echoing pride in his voice, his steady encouragement for me to follow his footsteps. We talked endlessly, about the architecture of a good story, the sanctity of fairness, the absolute mandate to report wha...