Jenerali Musugiri ambaye amewahi kuwa Mkuu wa Jeshi la Ulinzi la Wananchi wa Tanzania [JWTZ], amefariki dunia leo Oktoba 29, 2024 jijini Mwanza alikokuwa akitibiwa. Mazishi yanatarajiwa kufanyika nyumbani kwake, Butiama mkoani Mara.
Mkuu wa Majeshi ya Ulinzi Mstaafu, Jenerali David Musuguri, alizaliwa January 4 ya mwaka 1920 Butiama mkoani Mara, Jenerali Musuguri alikuwa Mkuu wa Majeshi ya Ulinzi kati ya mwaka 1980 hadi 1988 wakati wa Serikali ya Awamu ya Kwanza ya Hayati Mwalimu Nyerere.
Alikuwa Mkuu wa Majeshi ya Tanzania kuanzia mwaka 1980 hadi mwaka 1988, Jenerali David Bugozi Msuguri.
Musuguri ambaye asili yake ni Musoma mkoani Mara, ndiye aliyeongoza majeshi ya Tanzania kumfurusha Nduli Iddi Amin Dada wa Uganda mwaka 1978 baada ya kuvamia eneo la Kyaka mkoani Kagera na kulitangaza kuwa ni miliki ya Uganda.
Aliongoza Makamanda wenzake na wapiganaji chini ya Amiri Jeshi Mkuu Rais wa Kwanza wa Tanzania Mwalimu Julius Nyerere na kushusha kichapo kilichomfanya Idi Amini aiache ardhi ya Tanzania eneo la Kyaka na kurudi Uganda.
Kwa kuwa alizoea vitisho kwa Tanzania kwa kudai Kagera ni eneo la Uganda Majeshi ya Tanzania chini ya Jenerali Musuguri yaliamua kumchapa Amini hadi nchini mwake Uganda na katika mji wake mkuu Kampala na kumfukuza kabisa katika Ardhi ya Uganda na kwenda kuishi Uhamishoni Saudi Arabia.
Jenerali David Musuguri alihudumu katika Jeshi tangu Mwaka 1942–1988
Mapambano na vita aliyoshiriki ni pamoja na Vita Kuu ya Pili ya Dunia, Battle of Madagascar, Vita vya Kagera, Battle of Simba Hills na alianza kuhudumu katika Jeshi la King's of Rifles (KR), Tanganyika Rifles kabla ya kuwa Jeshi la Ulinzi Wananchi wa Tanzania (JWTZ).
Jenerali mstaafu David Bugozi Waryoba Musuguri alizaliwa Januari 4, 1920 katika Kijiji cha Kumuruti, Masabha. Sasa sehemu hiyo inajulikana kama Nyasirori, akiwa mtoto wa tatu katika familia ya mzee Musuguri wa Nzangho.
Alipozaliwa aliitwa jina la Waryoba, ikiwa ni ishara kwamba alizaliwa asubuhi wakati jua linachomoza. Baba yake mkubwa, Mgendi wa Nzangho alimwita jina la Bugingo.
Akiwa na umri wa miaka mitano, mzee Musuguri Nzangho alihamia Kijiji cha Butiama, wakati huo paliitwa Mu-kyaro.
Jenerali mstaafu David Bugozi Waryoba Musuguri alikuwa mtoto wa tatu kuzaliwa katika tumbo la mama yake, Wakuru wa Kibumbiko. Bibi mzaa mama yake pia alikuwa anaitwa Wakuru wa Kigeso. Jina la Wakuru ni jina kubwa sana katika ukoo huu wa Jenerali Musuguri.
Mzee Musuguri wa Nzangho alioa wanawake sita. Alikuwa mfugaji wa ng’ombe na mbuzi na alikuwa stadi kulinda mifugo yake, kwani yeye na wachungaji wenziwe waliwahi kwenda kuwinda simba na waliua simba 18.
Enzi hizo wanyama wa pori walikuwa wapo mapori ya karibu maeneo ya Bisarye, Ikizu na Buhemba.
Akiwa kijana mdogo, hakubahatika kwenda shule. Muda mwingi alichunga ng’ombe na mbuzi wa baba yake, kwa kuwa alikuwa mtoto wa kiume pekee hapo kwao, wengine walikuwa wasichana.
Jina la Bugozi
Jenerali Musuguri kwa maisha yake ya kazi amejulikana pia kwa jina la Bugozi. Jina hili alijiita mwenyewe kutokana na uwezo wake wa kupigana mieleka, inayojulikana kwa Kizanaki kama, ‘erigori.’ Wakati huo ‘erigori’ lilifanyika eneo ambalo lilipata umaarufu kwa kuitwa jina lake hilo.
Kuingia Jeshi la Mkoloni – King’s African Rifles (KAR)
Jenerali Musuguri aliingia jeshini katika mazingira tata. Mwenyewe anasimulia kwamba kati ya mwaka 1942 au 1943, katika sehemu ya kilima cha Mutuzu, Butiama kuna mama aliuawa kutokana na sababu za kishirikina. Polisi walifika hapo kijijini na kuwakamata vijana ili wasaidie kubeba mwili wa marehemu kuupeleka Musoma kwa ajili ya uchunguzi.
Wakati wakisubiri kwenda Musoma, waliwekwa rumande kwenye boma la Chifu Edward Wanzagi Nyerere. Lakini usiku kabla ya safari hiyo, kijana Waryoba Musuguri akiwa na umri wa miaka 22, na vijana wengine walitoroka na kwenda Musoma. Huko akajiandikisha kujiunga katika Jeshi la KAR.
Alipotoroka aliambatana na wenzake – Mugendi Nyamatwema na Mkono wa Nzenzere. Wakatembea mpaka Musoma kujiunga jeshini.
Wakati huo Chifu Edward Wanzagi Nyerere alikuwa ametawazwa mwaka 1942 baada ya baba yake, Chifu Nyerere Burito, kufariki dunia.
Baadaye alijiunga na vijana wenziwe Mwanza, wengine wakajiunga Morogoro, mpaka walipofika ‘depo’ ya mafunzo Dar es Salaam.
Akiwa jeshini ndiko alikopata elimu ya kusoma na kuandika, na akaweza kujiendeleza hata kufanya kozi mbalimbali za kijeshi katika nchi za Canada na China.
Akiwa KAR alipigana Vita Kuu ya Pili ya Dunia ambayo ilimwezesha kupigana katika uwanja wa vita katika nchi nyingi, zikiwamo India, Burma, Ushelisheli, Canada, mpaka Japan ambako alijeruhiwa kwa risasi kwenye paja. Alivuja damu na kupoteza fahamu. Alibebwa na askari mwingine Mtanzania aliyeitwa Marega – huyu anatoka Ngoreme. Kwa kitendo hicho cha kumwokoa, aliendelea kuwa rafiki yake wa karibu hadi alipofariki dunia.
Akiwa KAR, miongoni mwa wanafaunzi wake ni aliyekuja kuwa kiongozi wa Uganda, Idd Amin Dada, aliyejiunga na jeshi la KAR, Kahawa Barracks mjini Nairobi.
Jenerali Musuguri pia alipigana vita ya MAUMAU nchini Kenya baada ya Vita Kuu ya Pili ya Dunia akiwa jeshi la KAR.
Mwaka 1957 aliongoza kikosi cha wanajeshi wa KAR kutoka Afrika Mashariki kwenda London, Uingereza kwenye gwaride la Malkia wa Uingereza. Alipeleka historia ya KAR katika Afrika Mashariki, na yeye ndiye aliyemkabidhi historia hiyo Malkia Elizabeth II Juni 11, 1957 katika Kasiri la Mfalme la Buckingham wakati huo akiwa na cheo cha Warrant Officer Platoon Commander (W.O.P.C). Alikuwa Mwafrika wa kwanza kuonana na kupeana mkono na Malkia Elizabeth II wa Uingereza.
Uhuru
Baada ya Uhuru wa Tanganyika Desemba 9, 1961, aliendelea kuwapo jeshini. Baada ya Uhuru KAR ilibadilishwa jina na kuitwa Tanganyika Rifles.
Baada ya maasi ya mwaka 1964, Jeshi la Tanzania liliundwa upya likawa Jeshi la Wananchi wa Tanzania (JWTZ) au Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), likiwa na viongozi Watanzania wazalendo. Alikwenda kwenye vita ya Kagera ya kumtimua nduli Idd Amin kati ya mwaka 1978 hadi 1979, ambako alitambulika kwa kuongoza vita kishupavu na akaitwa ‘Jenerali Mutukula, Kamanda mwenye Uso wa Chuma’.
Jenerali mstaafu Musuguri alipitia vyeo vyote vya kijeshi kuanzia ‘Private’ mpaka ‘Full General’ akiwa Mtanzania wa kwanza kupata cheo hicho cha ‘Full General’.
Aliendelea kufanya kazi ya jeshi kwa weledi na ujasiri hadi alipoteuliwa kuwa Mkuu wa Majeshi ya Ulinzi (CDF). Kwa mtiririko wa ma-CDF wa JWTZ, Jenerali Musuguri alikuwa wa tatu.
Alistaafu kazi ya jeshi mwaka 1988 na tangu hapo amekuwa akiishi nyumbani kwake Butiama (Makao Makuu ya
Wilaya ya Butiama) akijishughulisha na kilimo na ufugaji.
Baada ya kustaafu, Jenerali mstaafu David Bugozi Waryoba Musuguri, akiwa kijijini alichaguliwa kuwa Mwenyekiti wa Serikali ya Kijiji cha Butiama, mwaka 1990 hadi mwaka 1991.
Katika nyakati tofauti, Jenerali Musuguri amepata matibabu katika hospitali mbalimbali, Hospitali ya Wilaya ya Butiama, Hospitali ya Rufaa ya Bugando, Hospitali ya Jeshi Lugalo,Hospitali ya Taifa ya Muhimbili, na hospitali zilizoko nje ya nchi kama China, Urusi, London – Uingereza, Ujerumani, Pretoria – Afrika Kusini na New Delhi, India.
Biography
Early life
David Musuguri was born on 4 January 1920 in Butiama, Tanganyika. In 1938, he underwent
bhakisero, a traditional rite of passage for Zanaki males involving the filing of the top incisors into triangular shapes.
Military career
In 1942, Musugiri enlisted in the King's African Rifles (KAR), beginning as a private. He later served with the KAR in Madagascar. By 1947 he was a sergeant and acted as an instructor at Kahawa Barracks in Nairobi, Kenya. While there he met future Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who was a pupil of his. In 1957, the British administration introduced the rank of
effendi into the KAR, which was awarded to high performing African non-commissioned officers and warrant officers (it was not a true officer classification). Musuguri was given the rank. In December 1961, Tanganyika became a sovereign state and several units of the KAR was transferred to the newly formed Tanganyika Rifles. The rank of
effendi was shortly thereafter abandoned, and, by 1962, Musuguri had been promoted to lieutenant. During the Tanganyika Rifles mutiny of January 1964, Musuguri was stationed in Tabora. Rebellious troops, attempting to remove and replace their British officers, declared him a major.
Though reportedly illiterate, Musuguri eventually rose to the rank of brigadier by 1978. In early 1979, he was promoted to major general and given command of the Tanzanian People's Defence Force (TPDF)'s 20th Division, a force that had been assembled to invade Uganda following the outbreak of the Uganda–Tanzania War in 1978. During the war, he garnered the
nom de guerre"General Mutukula", and successfully commanded his forces during the battles of Simba Hills,Masaka, and Lukaya, as well as Operation Dada Idi. Over the course of the conflict he took charge of over a dozen Ugandan orphans and oversaw their care until they could be turned over to relatives.
In early November 1980, Musuguri was appointed Chief of the TPDF. He returned to Tanzania the following week to take up his new post. On 30 December, President Julius Nyerere promoted him to lieutenant general. On 7 February 1981, Ugandan President Milton Obote gave Musuguri two spears in honor of "his gallant action in the Battle of Lukaya". During his tenure, he was accused of encouraging ethnic favoritism in the armed forces. He was opposed to withdrawing Tanzanian troops from Uganda in 1981 on the grounds that the country had not yet built a reliable armed force, but Nyerere overruled him. His retirement was announced on 31 August 1988.
Later life
Following his retirement, Musuguri moved to Butiama. In 2002, he endorsed the creation of an East African federation between Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. In 2014, he was awarded the Order of the Union Third Class by President Jakaya Kikwete. On 4 January 2020, he celebrated his 100th birthday.