Unbeknown to many, Oman has a significant Swahili-speaking population that has close ties to East Africa – particularly the coastal towns in Kenya and Tanzania.
In 2017, Magufuli was pleasantly surprised by the Swahili fluency of Omani government officials who had toured Tanzania to partner on infrastructural development.
Among Omanis who mourned Tanzanian strongman include Nasser Khalid Al Salmi and Khalid Hamad Al Barwan.
“He (Magufuli) was a brave leader for the Tanzanian nation in his tenure. We had toured Tanzania five months ago and we were astonished at the development by the fallen leader,” Salmi stated
The Arabs heaped praise on Magufuli for the work exhibited under his leadership. Further, they commended the incumbent President Samia Suluhu exuding promise as the first female President.
“We pay respect to the late Magufuli and pass our condolences to the Tanzanian nation. Magufuli was a person of the people and we pray for God to give guidance to the incumbent Suluhu,” Barwan stated.
The origin of the Omani influence in East Africa dates back to the 17th century when the Arabs drove out the Portuguese from the East African coast.
Their empire grew under the leadership of Sultan Sayyid Said who in the mid-17 century who led the Omans to drive out the Portuguese from Malindi and Mombasa.
The Arabs laid siege and conquered Fort Jesus in Mombasa and other towns along the East African coast. Sultan Said had also moved his headquarters from Oman’s capital to Zanzibar from where he ruled the extensive sultanate.
The interaction with Africans primarily led to enhanced trade and cultural interaction. Many of the Kenyan and Tanzanian Arabs have close family ties in Oman and other neighboring Middle Eastern countries.
For example, Kenya’s Tourism CS Najib Balala’s father was born to a prominent family in Yemen before moving to Mombasa, Kenya. The CS continues to maintain close ties with Yemen.
The Arabs influenced major changes among them architectural buildings, dress code, language, religion and ethnicity of many East Africans.
However, their influence soon dwindled after Sayyid Said’s death in 1856 where the region was invaded and seized by the British governance.
Source: KENYAGIST.COM