Hebu tupe na historia ya Huyo aliyeongoza mapinduzi ya Zanzibar, maana wengi wanatuchanya na historia imeshindwa kuweka waz. Thanx
Wakati Tunasherehekea siku ya mapinduzi Zanzibar yaliyofanyika January 12,1964,Mapinduzi hayo ya Zanzibar yamenifanya nimkumbuke Mwanamapinduzi Field Marshal John Gideon Okello aliyetoa mchango mkubwa katika mapinduzi hayo yaliyoleta Ukombozi wa Zanzibar pamoja na kwamba walikuwa na zana duni sana,Field Marshal Okello aliweza kuwashtukiza polisi na waliweza kuchukua madaraka.
Field Marshal Okello hakupaswa kusahaulika katika nchi zote mbili yaani Uganda na nchi aliyoikomboa ya Zanzibar,Kitu cha mhimu sana jamaa na ndugu za Field Marshal Okello wanaishi katika maisha ya ufukara na umaskini mkubwa sana wakati wa vita vya Kagera nimewahi kufika katika kijiji chake alikozaliwa na baadhi ya Wanajeshi tuliokuwa nao tulipenda sana kuwaona ndugu na jamaa za Mwanamapinduzi huyo.Tuliweza kufika katika kijiji cha Iyama huko Moroto, Tuliikuta familia ya Field Marshal Okello inaishi maisha ya kimaskini kabisa Utafikiri familia hiyo haijafanya chochote tulikaa pale kwa siku nzima na mimi nilibahatika kupata kitabu alichokiandika field marshal okello kiitwacho Revolution in Zanzibar kitabu hicho kinaelezea mengi sana kuhusiana na mapinduzi hayo ya Zanzibar kuna sehemu field marshal john okello aliandika; , " I understand African thinking and I understand that what I did in Zanzibar, had it been done in any other country for the sake of Africans, I would still have been judged wrong and borne blame. But I acted alone during the revolution and had to remain alone afterwards. If anyone can claim he was with me during the planning and thinking through of the Revolution, let him come forward and explain it" Okello then went on by saying that " Only God almighty knows what went on in Zanzibar. If anyone claims to have trained me or taught me to act as I did, let him come forward and describe it. I had been an ordinary worker in Zanzibar and went originally to work. A man of class and limited education certainly could not have gone abroad easily and why should I have known by or been acceptable to, and nothing proves this more than the wild claims made about me after the revolution and yet no one knew anything about me at all. I was reported to be a jaluo man from Kenya and a former member of Zanzibar police, yet a check of records in Zanzibar would not reveal my name on any police employment rolls, other people claimed they had seen me in Cuba and in Cairo and in some socialist countries. But there has been any evidence to refute any claims that I have never been outside East Africa to assert that I was an agent of some power, is foolish. How would anyone known I could manage revolution? And why did no one know me after the revolution?
God alone knows and still knows what is happening with me. He is my teacher and whatever he taught me about revolutionary activities is within me and no one on earth can discern it. My power in regard to the revolution was as a messenger of God, and God alone helped to master and eradicate the imperialists on the Island. Tulipigwa na butwaa kuona familia ya mwanamapinduzi huyo kuishi maisha kama hayo ya shida wakati yeye alifanya kazi kubwa ya ukombozi wa Zanzibar
Historia yake
Field Marshal John Gideon Okello alizaliwa mwaka 1937 huko wilaya ya Lango sasa hivi ni Lira Alipokuwa kijana ni mambo machache sana yanayofahamika kuhusiana na maisha yake hata hivyo Field Marshal John Gidion Okello alikuwa Mkristo na alibatizwa akiwa mdogo na jina lake la Ubatizo aliitwa Gidion,alipofikisha miaka 11 wazazi wake walifariki na alilelewa na ndugu zake wa karibu.
Alipofikisha miaka 15 alianza kutembelea nchi mbali-mbali za Afrika mashariki kutafuta kazi na kuna wakati alifanya kazi ya ukarani na kazi za nyumbani na shambani,pia alifundishwa kazi ya kutengeneza matofari ya kuchoma,kuna kipindi alikamatwa na Polisi huko Nairobi,Kenya sababu haikujulikana na alifungwa miaka miwili na katika kipindi hicho alipendezwa sana na Fikra za kimapinduzi vile vile kulikuwa na fununu kuwa Okello alikuwa ameishi Cuba na alifundishwa Ukominist na Fidel Castro
Mwaka 1959 aliondoka na kuelekea Pemba ambako alijaribu pia kutafuta kazi katika shamba moja,lakini badala yake alipata kazi ya Polisi na mwaka huohuo alijiunga na chama cha Afro-Shirazi cha Sheikhe Abeid Karume na akawa mwanaharakati shupavu aliweza pia kuwakusanya vijana na kuwaunganisha ili kupinga unyanyasaji wa waarabu huko visiwani. chama hiki kilikuwa kinapinga ukiritimba wa waarabu katika visiwa vya Zanzibar na Pemba.
Mwaka 1963 Okello aliondoka Pemba na kuelekea Zanzibar, Ambako alikutana na viongozi wa vijana wa Afro-Shiraz Umoja huo wa vijana wa Afro-Shiraz ulikuwa na mikakati ya kufanya mapinduzi ili kuondoa nguvu ya Waarabu huko Zanzibar,Okello pia alikuwa mwanachama wa chama cha wapaka rangi majumba maana naye siku ambazo hakuwa na kazi ya kufanya alikuwa anafanya kazi ya kupaka majumba rangi pia aliunda kikosi kidogo cha wazalendo kilichokuwa kinadhamini U-afrika kikosi hiki kilikuwa na miiko ya kutofanya mahusiano na wanawake,Kutokula nyama na kutokunywa pombe
January 12, 1964,akiwa na kikosi chake cha watu zaidi ya 600 Kwa kuungwa mkono na jamii ya visiwa waliokuwa wananyanyaswa na waarabu,Okello na kikosi chake walipigana kuelekea mji mkuu wa Zanzibar ambako Sultan alikuwa akikaa pamoja na kwamba walikuwa na zana duni,Okello na kikosi chake walilishtukiza Jeshi la Polisi la Zanzibar na kuweza kuteka silaha nyingi na ghala la silaha lilikuwa chini yao hivyo waliweza kuchukua madaraka,Wakati wa kutangaza mapinduzi hayo kwa njia ya Radio Okello alijitangaza mwenyewe kuwa yeye ni Field Marshal wa Zanzibar na Pemba na alimpa Sultan Amri ya kuwauwa familia yake na baadaye ajiue yeye mwenyewe la sivyo Okello angewauwa yeye mwenyewe,Hata hivyo Okello alikuwa amechelewa maana Sultani alikuwa amekimbilia kwenye meli ya Uingereza lakini waziri mkuu na mawaziri wengine hawakuweza kutoroka walikamatwa na walifungwa miaka mingi.Katika mapinduzi hayo zaidi ya waarabu 20,000 waliuliwa hasa hasa waliokuwa Zanzibar kati ya January 18 na 20, 1964.
Field Marshal John Gideon Okello aliunda Baraza la mapinduzi na alimchagua kiongozi wa Afro Shiraz Abeid Karume kuwa Rais na Sheikhe Abdulrahman Muhamad Babu kuwa waziri Mkuu,Kipindi hicho Karume na Babu walikuwa wanaishi Tanganyika,Na hawakujulishwa mapema kuhusiana na mapinduzi hayo, lakini walienda Zanzibar baada tu ya kukaribishwa na Okello.
Kuna habari pia kuwa Karume alikuwa anajua kutatokea nini maana alijulishwa na Field Marsha Okello kuwa wanampango wa kufanya mapinduzi hapo 12/01/1964 hivyo aliwataka viongozi wa juu wa Afro Shiraz Party kuondoka Zanzibar ili kama Zoezi litashindikana basi viongozi hao wawe salama na asiwepo wa kuwahisi kuwa walikuwa wanajua njama hizo za Mapinduzi.
Kufikia January 3,1964 Zanzibar ilirudia hali yake ya kawaida na Karume alikuwa amekubalika na jamii kuwa Rais,Field Marshal John Okello aliunda kikosi cha Jeshi kilichokuwa kikiitwa Freedom Military Force(FMF)kutoka kwa vikosi vilivyokuwa vikimuunga mkono ambavyo vilianza kufanya doria mitaani na sehemu zingine mhimu baada ya mapinduzi kupita okello aliweza kusafiri kwenda dar-es-salaam aliporudi alikuta hali si nzuri kwake askari wake walikuwa wameanza kupokonywa silaha hii iliashiria kuchafuka tena kwa hali ya hewa kwa Field Marshal John Gideon Okello.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA)Jeshi la Ukombozi wa wananchi liliundwa mwezi April 1964 na lilikamilisha kazi ya kuwapokonya silaha askari wote wa Okello,Tarehe 26/04/1964 Karume alitangaza kuwa amefanya mazungumzo ya kuingia kwenye Muungano na Tanganyika na kuunda nchi moja ya TANZANIA Haikuweza kujulikana mapema ni nini ilikuwa nia ya Karume kuingia kwenye Muungano huo lakini wengi walisema Karume aliingia kwenye muungano na Tanganyika ili kuwazuia watu wenye siasa kali toka chama cha Umma wasichukue nchi au kupunguza uwezekano wa kuwavutia wakominist katika afrika mashariki. Na wengine walihisi kuwa kwa sababu Field Marshal John Okello na karume kulikuwa na sintofahamu kati yao ndiyo maana aliamua kufanya muungano na Tanganyika ili asichukue madaraka tena toka kwake.kwa ujumla okello alikumbana na shida nyingi sana baada ya mapinduzi hayo.
Tatizo lingine alilopata ni kutokana na Dini yake yeye alikuwa Mkristo na ASP yote walikuwa Waislam hivyo alionekana mbele yao kama KAFIR hivyo hakusitahili kuongoza waislamu, wengine walihisi hivyo ndiyo maana jeshi lake lilipokonywa silaha na wafuasi wa Karume na wale waliotoka chama cha Umma,Na baada ya yeye kwenda Tanganyika aliporudi kwenye uwanja wa ndege Sheikh Karume alimwita Okello na kati ya mambo yaliyozungumzwa ni ya yeye kukataliwa huko visiwani hakuruhusiwa kuongea na yeyote,baadaye mamlaka ya mapinduzi walimzuia kuingia Zanzibar na inasemekana sheikh karume aliongea na nyerere ili naye oangee na rafiki yake obote asimruhusu okello kurudi Zanzibar tena.
Baadaye Okello alikaa Kenya,Congo-Kinshasa mwishowe Uganda alikuwa akizunguka katika nchi hizi mara kwa mara mwaka 1971 alionekana akiwa na Rais wa Uganda Idd Amin baadaye alitoweka maana Idd Amin hakupendezwa nayeye Okello kujiita Field Marshal maana alijiuliza watakuwa ma-Field Marshal wangapi Uganda hata hivyo Amin hakumwamini alimwona kama ni kitisho katika utawala wake hivyo inasadikiwa Idd Amin aliamua kummaliza mwaka 1971 baada tu ya kuchukua madaraka toka kwa Rais Obote.