Bicycle diaries: How Nyerere's legacy pedals far and wide

By Edward Qorro

One of the more famous pictures of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere is a black-and-white frame of him riding a "Swala" bicycle – Swahili for "antelope" – in the Dar es Salaam of the 1970s.

Tanzania's founding president regarded the humble bicycle as a sustainable tool of empowerment, especially during the oil crisis of the time.

He even treated it as a symbol of national pride, reflected in his promotion of the newly established National Bicycle Company to reduce dependence on imports and foster local industry.

Decades later, as over 100 cyclists pedalled their way up to Butiama village on the last lap of an 1,846-km expedition to Nyerere's birthplace, it marked the culmination of a befitting annual tribute to an African icon on the eve of his death anniversary.

October 14 marked 25 years since Mwalimu Nyerere passed away after a battle with leukaemia, and the Twende Butiama movement seeks to uphold his legacy by "cycling to transform lives".

The gruelling expedition, fuelled by the catchphrase "Pedal4Purpose," aims to raise awareness about the three key enemies of social development that Mwalimu Nyerere recognised early in his career: ignorance, poverty, and disease.

This year's Twende Butiama event started on September 28, drawing 103 participants and traversing 12 regions of Tanzania.

"By cycling to Butiama, participants raise awareness and funds for social causes such as education, conservation, and inclusive healthcare," the event's founder, Gabriel Landa, tells TRT Afrika.

"This event serves as a powerful platform to bring together people from diverse backgrounds, fostering a shared sense of purpose and commitment to Tanzania's future."

How it all started

Established in 2019 by a passionate community of cyclists led by Landa, crowdfunding helped turn Twende Butiama into an annual feature that has since touched the lives of many along its trail from Dar es Salaam to Butiama in the Mara region.

"We don't just cycle from one location to another. Along the way, we organise free medical camps for non-communicable diseases and champion causes that Mwalimu Nyerere held dear to his heart, such as education and conservation," says Landa.

While consistency of funding remains a challenge, telecom company Vodacom Tanzania has come on board to keep the momentum going.

Vodacom Tanzania joined hands with Twende Butiama in 2023 and committed to be the lead sponsor for five more years.

The partnership promises to enhance the movement's community impact and expand its reach to 100,000 people through free community health camps and onboarding other private sector partners.

Since the Twende Butiama cycling tour now attracts even foreigners, Landa is conscious of the need to improve every aspect of the event to meet international standards and become a part of Africa's sports calendar.

"We had cyclists from neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo DR, Malawi, Zambia and Burundi this year," says Zuweina Farah, director of external affairs and the Vodacom Foundation. Cyclists from Europe have also participated in the event.

"Where community outreach was primarily focused on desk donations and planting trees, we are now seeing new activities like community health camps, with plans to include digital and financial literacy programmes and conservation education. Needless to say, the Twende Butiama cycling tour is here to stay."

A deserving tribute

The Tanzania National Vision 2050 emphasises building an inclusive economy to reduce poverty—a philosophy the late Mwalimu Nyerere was passionate about. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement.

“We could do better as a country to live out the legacy that the founding father left for us," says Landa.

As Tanzanians commemorate a quarter of a century since his passing, Landa believes that if Mwalimu Nyerere's ideologies and philosophies aren't propagated, they may be somehow lost on the younger generation.

Twende Butiama seeks to hit the sweet spot between cause and community. "We are on the right trajectory," Landa tells TRT Afrika.

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