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"The person who shies at the possibility of increased responsibilities or at the prospect of future uncertainties is hardly worthy of life itself, for life consists of uncertainties, problems and challenges of various types."

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Under the Same Sun - A site out to fight the cause of the Albinos

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Sunday, August 22, 2010

They call us ‘albinos’ — the licence to mock and murder fellow humans

Truly the East African Economic Community has taken off. You can now move all sorts of goods and merchandise across the common border without hindrance. Indeed, there is this lucrative trade item — the albino.

You do not have to carry it across the border, it will walk across with you, and even keep you company on the way. If it happens to be your childhood friend, well, that’s just a minor inconvenience. The sale of its hair, legs, arms will fetch you millions...

If the story of Robinson and “friend” Nathan was not so tragic, it would be very funny...Check out the Story Here

Albino who was being sold was abandoned by parents

Mr Robinson Mnoti Mkwama, alias Musungu, who was about to be sold to human traffickers in Tanzania, was abandoned by his parents at an early age in Nairobi.

Mr Mkwama, who has albinism, was brought up in an orphanage in Nairobi, where he pursued his education to Form Four...Check out the Story Here

This new threat against albinos should be nipped in the bud

THE CRIMINAL trade in body parts of people with albinism has taken a new and most alarming dimension that involves smuggling albinos from neighbouring countries and "selling" them alive in Tanzania.

Police in Mwanza Region are holding a Kenyan, Nathan Mtei, who allegedly brought a teenage albino, Mr Robinson Mkwana Mnyoti into the country looking for a buyer at a price of 400m/-...Check out the Story Here

Kenyan jailed 17 years, fined 80 million/- over albino deal

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper, Tanzania

Nathan Mutei, a Kenyan, is escorted out of court in Mwanza. He was jailed for 17 years.

The Resident Magistrate's Court in Mwanza Region has sentenced a Kenyan national, Nathan Mtei Mwasha, to a 17-year jail term and a fine of 80m/- after he was found guilty of human trafficking and attempting to sell an albino, Robinson Mukwana, for 400m/-.

Mwasha was arrested for allegedly trafficking Mukwana from Kitale (Kenya) to Tanzania with the intention to sell him.

When he first appeared in court, he pleaded guilty to the charges against him, which prompted the magistrate to give his verdict within a short time.

Delivering judgement on Wednesday, resident magistrate Angelous Rumisha said the accused’s attempt to sell the albino was inhuman and barbaric, and that the punishment given was indented to deter other people.

Earlier, state attorney David Kakwaya alleged in court that the accused committed the offence on August 12, this year.

Kakwaya explained that the accused told Mukwana he was taking him to Tanzania to offer him a job, to which he agreed without knowing that he was going to be sold.

He said the accused came to Mwanza for the first time in June, this year, to look for a witchdoctor, whom he told he had some albino bones and he was looking for customers.

Kakwaya noted that the witchdoctor told him to give him time as he looked for the customers.

“The witchdoctor reported the matter to the police, who set up a trap. However, the accused managed to sneak out of the country before the police apprehended him,” Kakwaya told the court.

He said when the accused and his unsuspecting prey arrived in Mwanza on August 12, this year, they booked at River Side Guest House in Buzurugwa area.

He said the accused then called the witchdoctor, who had promised to look for customers. Instead he informed the police, who apprehended him before he could accomplish his ill mission.

................... ........

This is how
BBC
reported the incident
:...Check out the Story Here

2 weeks ago: Albino killer challenges verdict in Appeal Court

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper, Tanzania

Check out the Previous News Piece on the same Story

Kazimili Mashauri (50), who was recently sentenced to death by hanging after he was found guilty of killing a five-year-old albino girl, has lodged an application to the Court of Appeal of Tanzania in Mwanza challenging the High Court’s verdict.

The Court of Appeal yesterday confirmed it had received the appeal by the convict, who was sentenced to death for killing Mariam Emmanuel.

The appeal was filed by the convict’s counsel Wilbroad Butambala recently, High Court Registrar Isaya Arufani confirmed yesterday.

The verdict was delivered on July 27, this year, by High Court Judge Projest Rugazia.

According to the High Court registrar, the convict’s counsel challenges High Court proceedings during the determination of the case and the death sentence imposed on the convict.

The judgment, which lasted for an hour, was read by Judge Rugazia, who argued he was satisfied with prosecution witnesses levelled against the first accused, who he found guilty of murder.

He said he could not implicate an accomplice (the second accused) because the prosecution did not table strong evidence as claimed by court assessors and as a result, he set him free.

Judge Rugazia, while reading the verdict, said the prosecution depended much on witness number two Nhindi Emmanuel assertions that for quite sometime, he was used in the case, therefore, it was easy for the witness to identify the accused.

The prosecution brought eight witnesses including the mother of the deceased girl, Flora Mabula, and her two children.

The murder of the albino girl occurred on January 21, 2008 at around 04:00am in Nyangh’olongo Village, Misungwi District in Mwanza Region, whereby the accused murdered and drank the blood of the albino girl from a bowl.

3 weeks ago: Tenth person sentenced to death over albino killings

Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper, Tanzania
Kazimili Mashauri seated (L) after being sentenced to death by the Mwanza High Court for killing Mariam Emmanuel (5). With him is Mathias Itangala, who was acquitted.
A Mwanza resident, Kazimili Mashauri was yesterday convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of five-year old child, Mariam Emmanuel who was suffering from albinism.

His conviction by the High Court in Mwanza brought to 10 the number of sentenced to death for albino killings that rocked the country three years ago.

The killing of the albino child occurred on January 21, 2008 around 4.00 am at Nyangh’olongo village in Misungwi District, Mwanza Region. Hearing of the case started on July 6, this year, and the prosecuting side had four witnesses including the mother of the child, Flora Mabula.

Mashauri was the first accused in the case involving the brutal killing of the five-year old child.

The second accused in the case, Mathias Italanga, alias Machona was freed by the court.

In its first ruling in September last year, the High Court sitting in Shinyanga sentenced to death three accused persons in connection with the killings.

In October last year the High Court in Tabora Zone sentenced three accused persons to death by hanging after they were found guilty of two separate murders of albinos that were committed between 2002 and 2003.

Three other accused people were sentenced to death by hanging by another High Court sitting in Shinyanga in November last year.

Yesterday’s landmark ruling that lasted for almost one hour yesterday, was read by High Court Judge Projest Rugazia who said the court arrived at the decision after being satisfied with the evidence presented by the second witness in court against the first accused in the case.

Rugazia said the court had decided to set free the second accused in the case because evidence tendered in court against him was shallow as suggested by the court assessors.

He said the court verdict was made on the basis of evidence presented by the second witness to the case, Nhindi Emmanuel, who, according to the judge, witnessed the murder.

“The court believes that the evidence tendered by the second witness is true because it was supported by the evidence presented by the deceased child’s mother,” said Rugazia.

The judge rejected defense statement presented by the convict as untrue.

He said the court was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt by the evidence presented by the second witness, who had said that he saw the convict killing the child and drink her blood.

On the material day, the second and third witnesses were sleeping with the murdered child.

The trio who were convicted in September, last year and are now on death row are Masumbuko Madata (32) of Itunga Village, Emmanuel Masangwa (28) of Bunyihuna Village and Charles Kalamuji alias Charles Masangwa (42) of Nanda Village, all in Bukombe District.

They were convicted by Judge Gabriel Rwakibarila after being found guilty of conspiring and killing an albino schoolboy, Matatizo Dunia (13), on December 1, 2008 at Bunyihuna village in Shinyanga Region’s Bukombe District.

Ilanga Bagagu, a resident of Nyakabindi village, Dutwa hamlet in Bariadi District, was convicted in October, last year , after being found guilty of killing his best friend, Emmanuel Maduhu, a businessman selling onions in the district.

Others who were also sentenced to death are Masalu Misalaba of Lyagiti village and Said Masolwa alias Bunga of Lyabukande.

Delivering the judgement, Judge Mjalius said that both accused were found guilty of conspiring to kill Masolwa, who was brother of accused Said Masolwa.

He said that on February 3, 2003 the accused together with others, who did not appear in court, attacked Masolwa who was riding a bicycle together with Manyeye Bukamu.

Those who were sentenced to death in November last year by the High Court Judge Gadi Mjemas included Mboje Mawe, Chenyenye Kishiwa, Sayi Gamaya and Sayi Mafizi, all residents of Nkindwabiye village in Bariadi district, Shinyanga region to be hanged to death.

He said the four conspired and killed Lyaku Wille (50) of Nkindwabiye village between November and December 2008.

Judge Mjemas said he was convinced beyond reasonable doubt based on evidence adduced from DNA results conducted by a government chemist, Gloria Machube that matched blood stains found on the weapons which were in the accused possession, that none other than the accused committed the offence.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Under The Same Sun at NOAH 2010

This July, UTSS had 12 representatives at the Washington DC national conference on
albinism. There were 4 from Tanzania and 8 from Canada. NOAH (National Organization for Albinism & Hypo-pigmentation) is an American - based non-profit organization that sponsors a conference every 2 years representing the albinism community.

This year’s event reported over 900 in attendance with a moderate representation from the international community as well. We met fellow Canadians, Tanzanians, South Africans, a gentleman from Senegal, another from Nigeria, and a number of folk from
Australia – a very diverse crowd to say the least. For those of us with albinism, the sense of kinship, affinity, connection, and understanding was palpable as we were surrounded by this unique fellowship that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet and certainly not in our day to day lives.

For those of us without albinism there was the unique experience of being a minority group to the people with albinism surrounding us. It felt right! For both groups, the deepest expressions of this experience were manifested in tears and laughter as words failed to capture its essence. ...Check out the Story Here