Tanzania People’s Defence Forces soldiers provide security at Soweto
grounds in Arusha yesterday during a public rally organised by Chadema.
Three people were killed in a grenade attack at a Chadema campaign
meeting at the same venue on Saturday.
Arusha/Dodoma. As a nervous citizenry continue to worry of what is happening to their erstwhile “island of peace” following the Saturday grenade attack at a public gathering in Arusha, the second in a span of one month, politicians are hotly engaging accusations and counter-accusations.
The earlier attack took place on May 5 at a church compound in the outskirts of Arusha city, killing three worshipers.
Yesterday the government said political parties and politicians should be held accountable for the spate of bloody attacks. The ruling CCM and the main opposition Chadema are pointing fingers at one another, each alleging their rival is sponsoring terrorism and orchestrating violence.
Meanwhile some MPs expressed dismay over what they termed as government’s failure to ensure security and arrest culprits despite all the necessary cohesive organs at its disposal.
And while politicians blamed one another, the death toll in the Arusha attack rose to three yesterday, hospital officials told the Vice President Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal.
The two who were killed the day of the blast have been identified as Justine, 13, and Ms Judith Moshi, 25, the Chadema Sokoni One Ward secretary. Both died of injuries following the terror blast. The third victim, Hamad Jamal, who was admitted to Mount Meru hospital’s intensive care unit, died yesterday.
The Vice President jetted into Arusha yesterday morning and spent hours visiting the injured at Mount Meru Regional Hospital, St Elizabeth Hospital and the Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, also known as Selian.
The government-owned Mount Meru received at least 50 victims on the fateful day and the VP was further informed that most of them have since been discharged.
However, two of the critically injured were yesterday rushed to the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi for specialised treatment.
The two who were airlifted to the Kenyan capital are from the same family and have been identified as Fatuma and Shariffa Jumanne.
Tabling the government statement on Arusha grenade attack in Parliament yesterday minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Coordination and Parliament) William Lukuvi hinted that the tendency by some political parties and politicians to incite wananchi against the Police Force and the government might explain for the recurrent attacks. He fell short of naming the political parties and politicians.
But CCM deputy secretary general (Ideology and Publicity) Nape Nnauye said the grenade attack at the Kaloleni grounds on Saturday was planned by Chadema to disrupt the ward by-election after realising it was “certain to lose”.
Source The Citizen
