Francis Nyalali

Francis Lucas Nyalali, 3rd February 1935 - 2nd April 2003, was Chief Justice of Tanzania who promoted easy access to Justice, Rule of Law, Constitutionalism, and Human Rights. He served as the Chief Justice of the United Republic of Tanzania 1977-2000, a total of 23 years; to date, he remains the longest serving Chief Justice in not only Tanzania but also the Commonwealth countries where an average serving time for a Chief Justice is 3.6 years.

Francis Nyalali was born 3rd February 1935 in Kasubuya Village, Rural Mwanza District, Mwanza Region in Tanzania to Lucas Isangi, his father, and his mother, Salome Madia. He was named Francis after baptism in a Catholic Church. Francis, famously known as ‘Nyalali’, was the only child to his mother.  The name ‘Nyalali’ is neither his birth name nor original surname, however, it is a name that was used by people to refer to him since he was young, eventually he took it up as his official surname. Nyalali is derived from a Kisukuma word “Kanyalali” which means “one with a beautiful face”; the people in his community referred to him as Kanyalali and later Nyalali due to his attractive features since he was a child.  

Salome Madia, Nyalali’s mother was unable to conceive any other children after Francis, this led to a divorce between the parents since the culture at that time considered families with many children as superior and with a better chance at life than those with few or no children. Following the divorce of his parents, Nyalali lived with his mother who taught him more of his faith as a Catholic, Salome was known for her commitment and would recite the rosary for up to six times a day. Nyalali’s father married another wife and had more children but his mother never remarried, she remained a small-scale farmer, and later a traditional midwife, roles she performed until she was elderly. Salome Madia passed away 04th March, 2002 in Dar es salaam where she was buried. Nyalali had a very close relationship with his mother, according to his wife, Loyce Phares, “it was a very unique kind of love. Even God blessed that love; they were buried next to each other, coincidentally”.

Born to ‘Wasukuma’, the culture and traditions during that time involved young boys taking care of livestock; having a large herd of livestock like cows and sheep was considered wealthiness. Therefore, as a young boy, Nyalali was taught how to be a shepherd and he took care of his grandparent’s livestock. It was during that same time that foreign education and schools were being introduced in Tanzania by the British missionaries. Though he was at the right age to attend school, the conflicting views of the foreign education among his caregivers delayed the process. The British missionaries were promoting formal education and they had identified children they wanted to provide this education to, Francis Nyalali was among those selected. His mother had embraced the Catholic faith and was keen for her only child to gain the education provided by the missionaries, she believed it would result in success for Nyalali. On the other hand, Nyalali’s father and grandparents strongly disagreed; they believed the proper way was the traditional method of oral education through stories and narration of events by older members of society, livestock keeping, and knowledge of traditional herbal medicines that Wasukuma are good at. However, after a few years, Nyalali’s mother was finally able to convince his father and grandparents to allow him to go to school; Nyalali began his education when he was relatively older (11 years old) than most children.  

Francis Nyalali began his primary school education at Misungwi primary school, in Sengerema District, Mwanza region. The colonial education provided in schools at that time insisted on English speaking, and a European way of life, it also based the knowledge in a European and American context, creating a conflict with the reality of the students it was provided to. This foreign education, language, and culture conflicted with the traditional Wasukuma and Tanganyika education, languages, and culture; creating a clear division between the formally and informally educated, making it difficult for many students to continue with school. However, despite this challenge, Nyalali stayed in school and due to his intellectual capabilities, he was moved to a class higher than he was supposed to. After grade 1, he was moved to grade 3 instead of 2. He continued to excel in his studies and was finally able to get to university.

At Misungwi primary school, Francis Nyalali was known for his gentleness, this behavior led to him being nicknamed ‘the sheep’. After, he joined Bwiru Boys Secondary School 1951 - 1954, where he was known for his sportsmanship and readiness to help others. Nyalali was a member of the Bwiru swimming team and a leader of the Mwanza District Swim Team at the time. He completed his secondary education successfully as the first (highest performing) student in Mwanza region and later joined Tabora Boys High School 1955 - 1957.  At Tabora High School, he was known for his debating skills resulting in him being elected as the Chairman of the Tabora School Debating Society.

Nyalali went to Makerere University in Uganda where he majored in History graduating with an Honours Degree in History in 1962.  During his time at Makerere he was elected as the ‘President of the Students’ Guild’ 1960 - 1961, as the second non-Ugandan to become university president at the time. Apart from his leadership skills, his resemblance to a traditional Chief of Buganda at the time, Kabaka Mutesa II, also made him a preferred candidate. The resemblance with the Chief Kabaka was such that some security officers mistake him for the Chief and salute him as he walks by.  After the completion of his degree from Makerere, Nyalali went to the UK (United Kingdom) where he studied law and graduated in 1965 as a member of the Lincoln Inn.

Throughout his education career, Nyalali was selected for various leadership positions; at Misungwi he was “Bwana Afya”, a position that concerns taking care of the hygienic conditions of the school and ensuring the welfare of others. At Bwiru he was elected ‘Senior Student’ (headboy of his cohort), throughout his four years there, he was also captain of the swimming team. At Tabora High School, Nyalali was elected prefect for one year, and Chairman of the debating society for two years. His attributes of honesty, empathy, readiness to help others, and commitment to excellence made him a good leader even at that young age.

Despite his duties as Chief Justice being demanding, Francis Nyalali is still described as a ‘family man’. Nyalali was married to Loyce Phares Nyangasi, 26 April 1946 - present, in 1968. Nyalali met Loyce while serving as a magistrate in Musoma region after four of his friends proposed her at different occasions. Francis had informed his close friends at the time that he was looking for a wife and being residents of Musoma, they all recommended that he meet Loyce who was studying to be a teacher at Morogoro’s Teachers College. In 1966, after Loyce graduated, all the necessary traditional arrangements were made including dowry and formal proposal to families; they got married in 1968 until the death of Nyalali in 2003. Whenever asked about her late husband, Loyce always describes him as a loving husband, selfless, a true partner, a teacher and an inspiration in words and actions.

Loyce and Nyalali have four children, Emmanuel ‘Kijana’ Nyalali, Karoli Magero Nyalali, Victor ‘Bahati’ Nyalali, and Bernadetta ‘Lulu’ Nyalali. Nyalali, committed himself to being the best he could be with his family. He educated his children, advised them, and set them up for success through supporting their career ambitions and goals. Nyalali is known to be ‘a different version of himself’ while at home, while at work he’s very serious and strict, at home he is laid back, light hearted and charismatic. His family often speak of how he did not want to bring any work home; he preferred his work to remain at the office so that he could spend quality time with his family. Above everything else, Nyalali ensured that his children grow to put God first, and their value as ‘human beings’ next, not material wealth.

Francis Nyalali was a devoted Catholic who believed that his life is a gift from God and that his profession is a way to fulfill God’s purpose for him on earth. He religiously abide by the values of the Catholic church and was known to always attend masses, take part in the holy communion, and request for special masses at his house. Regardless of his position as a Judge and Chief Justice, Nyalali still attended church procession and in some instances took a lead in carrying the cross during such events. He practiced his faith in everything he did; the commitment to his faith in words and in practice inspired his wife, Loyce to also become Catholic and share his faith, Loyce was initially a Seventh Day Adventist. She was quoted in an interview saying, “Nyalali always put God first as the captain of his life”.

His devotion to the Catholic church and his faith extended to his involvement in solving various religious issues and conflicts in collaboration with leaders of the church. Francis was also known to be a giver to the church, it was such that his will included a portion of his possessions dedicated toward the church. Similar values of faith and commitment to the Catholic church were instilled in his children by ensuring that they attended masses, and acquired education on religion and faith through the church. All four of his children, Emmanuel, Karoli, Victor, and Benedetta Lulu learned the faith and went through the Catholic confirmation process. When asked about their father, his children said, “As a habit, our father taught us that beyond everything, we should know and put above all, God, who is the captain of our lives”.

Regardless of being a devoted Catholic, Francis Nyalali was known as an open-minded person who embraced diversity and interacted with people from all walks of life, faith, and religion. In a biography of his life by Christians Professionals of Tanzania, his wife was quoted; “Nyalali was a friend to diverse people, he befriended people despite their color, tribe, or religion”.