Lakini kumchagua Jaji Othman kuwa Jaji Mkuu haitoshi considering judiciary yetu ilivyogawanyika. Infact kwa nini watu hawajiulizi about the exclusivity ya Ukabila uliopo ndani ya Judiciary?
Of course kama tutakuwa hatuko makini kwenye kujadili hili itakuwa yale yalee ya sweeping statements kama vile 'ohhh WACHAGGA wamejazana kwenye judiciary ndio maana kuna nuka rushwa' lakini hakuna anayetaka kuangalia chanzo cha hili. Its quite unfortunate kuwa hata hao the so called University Students hawaji kuchangamsha hili baraza rightly or wrongly kutuelezea tena kwa sababu za kisomi kwa nini Judiciary yetu iko ONE SIDED.......maana kushakuwa so polarised humu and I can also understand pessimism kama ipo.
Nadhani kuna myriad factors ambazo tunaweza kusema kuwa zimeweza ku produce a Tanzanian judiciary with kwa mtazamo wa karibu ni haki kusema kuwa ni:
1.distinctly elite
2.non-representative demographics.
3.Born into families of wealth and privilege
4. Ivy League types
Hiyo point ya 4 ni muhimu kuifafanua kwa sababu most of our judges received their basic education good schools, their law training from either UK or U.S (Mara nyingi ni from the Golden Triangle ya UK ambayo inacombine:OXFORD na CAMBRIDGE, kwa upande mmoja, upande wa pili ni Vyuo ambavyo viko chini ya University of London kama KINGS COLLEGE, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, IMPERIAL COLLEGE na ukiangalia kwa sana utaona the others wamesomea kwenye Ivy League za North East wenyewe wanaziita ambazo kuna BROWN COLUMBIA, CORNELL,DARTMOUTH,HARVARD,PRINCETON na bila kusahau UPENN...hivyo piga ua utaona majaji wakuu wetu hawakoso at least a degree from the above institutions.
Sasa after that wengine waliobtain coveted pupilage at a prominent chambers of barristers kwa waliosoma UK. Na after a long and financially rewarding careers at the highest ranks of the bar, including appointments mbali mbali ndipo hawa waheshimiwa waliiingia kwenye full-time judiciary at the end of their practicing career.Given formal eligibility requirements, informal entrance barriers, and other restrictions, the Tanzania bench is overwhelmingly comprised of mainly older males (kwa sababu ya mfumo dume), Christian and from the most privileged stratum of society. So mtu kama Jaji Othman kuwa Jaji mkuu will always bring eyebrows kwa sababu HE DOESNT FIT THE PROFILE. Thats why nimesema kuwa tokana inbalance tulionayo katika Jamii Rais amefanya uamuzi wa busara kwani anaondoa zile stereotypes kuwa Mswahili tena Muislam hawezi kuwa Jaji mkuu na akatoa Haki sawa kwa wote. Mchukieni tuu Jakana lakini on this, I give him big up japo kama nilivyoelezea kuwa hii fani iko very elitist huko juu .
Yes najua kutakuwa na defenders wa mfumo huu au Judiciary yetu as it is lakini ukweli itabaki pale pale kuwa our Judiciary is SOCIALLY BIASED pili iko OUT OF TOUCH WITH ORDINARY LIVES na mbaya zaidi it LACKS PUBLIC CONFIDENCE THAT JUSTICE IS FAIRLY DISPENSED. Sasa kama mnataka tu we na mjadala ambao utaangalia beyong personalities sawa lakini upande wangu nadhani kuna umuhimu wa kufanya reform katika mhimili huu muhimu kwetu kama taifa kwaili kuongeza vitu vitatu:
1. TRANSPARENCY
2. ACCOUNTABILITY
3. DIVERSITY
Naweza kusema kuwa Post Cold War na mpaka miaka ya hivi karibuni kumekuwa na various 'forces' ambao wamekuwa wakitaka kuwepo kwa reforms ambazo zingeangalia au zingeshed light on issues kama vile a) appointment process b)adopting modern personnel management techniques andof course diversifying the bench to more fairly reflect the general population ili kuondoa minongono (rightly or wrongly) kuwa Wachagga au Wakristo wamejikita kwenye hili eneo/ Ninavyofahamu mimi kuwa pressure inatoka from within kwa maana Tanganyika Law Society, and non- legal professionals and governmental actors (kisirisiri au in private) as well as a broad range of social critics such as SHIVJIS and the like na pia bila kusahau SERIOUS press na bila kusahau wale vocal academics.
Its common ukimuuliza mtu wa mtaani atakuwambia kuwa issues zinazochefua judiciary yetu ni 1.criticisms of insider-preferences
2.political cronyism,
3. na bila kusahau the antiquated appointment system
Anyway najua Jaji Othman atakuwa na kazi kubwa ila kama nikipata nafasi ya kuzungumza naye nitamshauri azingatie mambo matatu na si mengine bali nilishatya mention na ndio yata underline reforms zozote tutakazo kuwa nazo kwenye judiciary nazo ni
1. TRANSPARENCY
2. ACCOUNTABILITY
3. DIVERSITY
Mniwie radhi post yangu ndefu kiasi lakini nimeona si vijabaya nikaongezea hayo niliyoyasema hapo awali
