People are funny in here. I doubt very much that if a handful of you can even spit in English proficiently. But when it comes to Monday morning quarterbacking (about someone's language skills) you are always there on the frontline.
Hata Watanzania wengi waliosoma vyuoni nje ya nchi yetu, na ambao wanaishi katika nchi ambazo zinatumia Kiingereza kama lugha yao ya kwanza - UK, USA, Canada, Australia na nchi zingine - wanazungumza Kiingereza kibovu. Wengi wao hawamkaribii Kikwete. Wanachojaribu mara nyingi ni kuwaiga Waingereza, Wamerika na wengine wanavyotamka. Lakini ukisikiliza grammar yao, it's rotten. It stinks. Watanzania wengi hapa nchini ambao hawakusoma katika nchi hizo wanajua Kiingereza kuliko Watanzania wengi wanaoishi UK, USA, Australia na ambao walisoma huko.
Kikwete anajua Kiingereza. Anazungumza Kiingereza vizuri kuliko hata mawaziri wake waliosoma nje ya Tanzania, kwa mfano Bernard Membe. Membe hazungumzi Kiingereza vizuri kama Kikwete. Kuna maprofesa wetu hapa Tanzania ambao hawazungumzi Kiingereza vizuri kuliko Kikwete.
Hata Gavana wa Benki, Benno Ndulu, ukimsikiliza vizuri, utaona kwamba hazungumzi Kiingereza vizuri kama Kikwete ingawa amemzidi elimu na aliwahi kuwa profesa. Msikilize pamoja na kwenye video iliyowekwa hapa Jamii Forums alipohojiwa UK.
Tatizo la Kikwete ni kwamba anazungumza kama si mtu aliyesoma sana ingawa alisomea economics. Hazungumzi kama Nyerere na Mkapa ambao pia ujuzi wao katika lugha ya Kiingereza ulikuwa ni wa juu sana. Zaidi ya hayo, Mkapa na Nyerere walijua walichokuwa wanazungumzia. Pia walikuwa ni watu ambao wamesoma sana.
Kwahiyo lugha si tatizo ingawa ni muhimu kuijua vizuri ili ueleweke unapozungumza na watu na unapohutubia mikutano. Muhimu zaidi ni elimu. Unaweza kujielimisha zaidi kuliko ulivyofundishwa shuleni. Kikwete na wenzake wanaweza kufanya hivyo wakisoma vitabu ambavyo inabidi wavisome, na articles muhimu katika journals mbali mbali ambazo ni vizuri wazisome, ikiwa wanaka kuwa na broad knowledge katika mambo wanayoyazungumzia.
Si lazima Kikwete awe msomi kama Nyerere ambaye alimshangaza Kissinger alipokuja hapa Tanzania 1976. Profesa Kissinger alijaribu kum intimidate Nyerere na elimu yake. Kwa mfano, during their verbal exchanges, he quoted different philosophers, and Nyerere finished the sentence. Kissinger quoted from different works of Shakespeare and others - and Nyerere finished the rest, also quoting from them.
Baada ya ziara hiyo ya Kissinger and what happened in Dar during the meeting between the two leaders, "The Washington Post" described Nyerere as "professorial."
Mkapa came close, very close, to Nyerere katika lugha na broad knowledge. Unfortunately, Kikwete is far behind them, ingawa Kiingereza chake si kibovu and he speaks better than most of his colleagues in the government and even better than some professors here in Tanzania.