Dr. Ngunguti’s Tabasuri za Baghami: Unmasking Wisdom in Folly and Ignorance
By Adonis Byemelwa
In a compelling Q&A with Pan African Visions senior reporter, Dr. Mohamed Ngunguti, esteemed Tanzanian poet and academic from the University of Dar es Salaam, delves into the provocative themes in his latest poetry collection, Tabasuri za Baghami (Wisdom of the Insane/Fool). Renowned for his daring use of irony and contradiction, Dr. Ngunguti dismantles conventional ideas about ignorance and intellect, inviting readers to discover the wisdom often concealed within society’s most underestimated voices. His work builds upon Tanzania’s rich poetic tradition—a powerful tool for social critique and cultural storytelling—and continues to captivate a growing and diverse readership drawn to his exploration of irony, insight, and self-reflection.
Behold, modern Tanzanian poets like Dr. Ngunguti are reshaping literature by challenging assumptions and encouraging reflection, amplifying underrepresented voices across all walks of life. This collection, through its satirical yet thoughtful perspective, calls on readers to rethink judgments, elevating the role of poetry in fostering an inclusive, thought-provoking dialogue within Tanzanian society.
Q: What inspired you to title your collection Tabasuri za Baghami (Wisdom of the Insane/Fool), and what does it signify for you?
People tend to underestimate the power of small and invaluable things which inspired me to title my poetry book “Tabasuri za Baghami” (i.e. Wisdom of the Insane/Fool, not. The title satirically awakens people who think are far above others in some respects to count 1-10 before looking down upon other people because, chances are, those people they consider idiots are smarter than them. In short, idiots have good things too from which those who think are smart may learn and benefit.
Q: Can you share your creative process and how you develop the themes of irony and contradiction in your poetry?
This is a tough question. It is like you want me to describe how I compose my poems, (which is hard to tell – because it just happens, I find myself with a poem). I think I use the five sensory organs to come up with an idea for a poem. When I see, hear, feel, taste, or smell anything funny, contradictory, unusual, attractive, or inconceivable, that is the beginning of writing a poem. I note it down so that I don’t forget it or I write right away.
Q: How do you define “ignorance” in your work, and why do you think this theme resonates so strongly with your readers?
I define ignorance as the tendency to be judgemental to others, considering them of less value, useless, or ignorant, and therefore, not being ready to listen to them or learn from them. Ignorance is, not being ready to learn from those considered ignorant, and so missing out on a lot of knowledge because everyone on earth has something useful in life. I have seen illiterate mothers raising professors, bus conductors employing their bosses, etc.
Q: Was there a particular moment or experience that led you to start sharing your poems on social media, especially WhatsApp?
I wrote my first poem in 1994. Since then, I have not stopped writing poems, but I could not get any feedback from anyone because I kept them to myself. Therefore, I didn’t know the magnitude of my talent in writing poems. I was considering myself an armature as I specialized in linguistics, not literature. Then, one day, in 2022, I decided to share one of my poems on a WhatsApp group at my workplace. The poem is called Tunda. The positive comments it attracted from professors of literature made the behaviour persistent.
Q: Your readers have eagerly awaited this collection. What has their support meant to you throughout this journey?
The support from my readers on social media, particularly WhatsApp groups has meant a lot to me throughout this journey. I have been sharing my poems in more than 10 groups of between 200 and 1,000 members each, receiving dozens of comments in each group. Those comments showed that many people liked my poems and some demanded a poetry book. 60% of the poems in my book were once shared in those groups.
Q: Could you describe one of the poems from Tabasuri za Baghami that you feel embodies the essence of the book?
Here is a brief description of the poem from Tabasuri za Baghami that I feel embodies the essence of the book. It is called Ujinga kama Mauti (Ignorance is like Death). The poem shows how difficult it is for a fool to recognize and admit their foolishness. It is like death (perhaps dead people aren’t aware they are lifeless). Everyone thinks somebody else out there is ignorant, but not them. Be careful before labelling somebody.
Q: As a poet who challenges conventional perspectives, what message do you hope to leave with readers through this collection?
There is a lot to learn from stupid things and people. Ignoring them is losing a lot in life. The moment one decides to start learning from idiocy, one will come up with precious knowledge. There is much more wisdom from unwise people than from the wise!
