Onesmo Ole Ngurumwa Kasale is one of the leading figures in the field of human rights in Tanzania who has devoted his entire professional life to ensure that human rights defenders work freely while ending threats and hurdles to their cause. Born on the rolling plains of Loliondo in the Maasai Steppe in Tanzania’s northern Ngorongoro District, Arusha Region, in 1980, Onesmo was educated at Sakala Primary School, Arusha Catholic Seminary School, and Dakawa High School in Morogoro and then joined University of Dar es Salaam in 2005 for his law studies where he graduated with honors four years later.Prior to that he attended Security and Protection Management training for Human rights defenders and social organization offered by Protection International where he earned a Diploma. He had also attended Security Management and Risk Assessment training from York University. Renowned and experienced human rights experts and numerous development organisations have mentored Onesmo. “ From mentoring and nurturing him I knew he’s a potential leader who would climb to the top leadership position at a very young age”says Martina Kabisama, mentor THRDC Board chairperson For more than a decade, he has tirelessly defended human rights for all, including the most marginalized and discriminated minority groups in Tanzania. Often lashing out against injustices whenever people take law into their own hands.

1. ONESMO
OLENGURUMWA
CELEBRATING 14th YEARS
OF PROFFESSIONAL
ACHIEVEMENT
MORE THAN A DECADE
OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM
APRIL
2003-2017
“ONCE A HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
ALWAYS A HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER”

2. Onesmo Ole Ngurumwa Kasale is one of the leading figures in the field
of human rights in Tanzania who has devoted his en�re professional life
to ensure that human rights defenders work freely while ending
threats and hurdles to their cause.
orn on the rolling plains of oliondo in the Maasai Steppe in
Tanzania s northern gorongoro District, Arusha Region, in 1 0,
Onesmo was educated at Sakala Primary School, Arusha atholic
Seminary School, and Dakawa High School in Morogoro and then
joined University of Dar es Salaam in 200 for his law studies where he graduated with honors four years
later.
Hard working and resilient, he bravely faced a myriad of challenges and dilemmas of the youths while at
the university to emerge one of the best students.
“He was a diligent student in the faculty of Law and a leader of the
student’s human rights organization” recalls Chris Peter Maina Professor of law
and human rights at the University of Dar es Salaam.
Driven by his inherent urge to educa�on, Onesmo proceeded with his postgraduate studies at the
University of Dar es Salaam in which he scooped a dis�nc�on Research and Public Policy in 201 .
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Onesmo during his master’s degree graduation ceremony receving a
master degree infront of Dr. Jakaya Kikwete, retired President of Tanzania

3. Prior to that he a�ended Security and Protec�on Management training for Human rights defenders and
social organiza�on offered by Protec�on Interna�onal where he earned a Diploma. He had also a�ended
Security Management and Risk Assessment training from York University. Renowned and experienced
human rights experts and numerous development organisa�ons have mentored Onesmo.
rom mentoring and nurturing him new he’s a otential leader
who would clim to the to leadershi osition at a er oung age”
sa s Martina a isama mentor C oard chair erson
For more than a decade, he has �relessly defended human rights for
all, including the most marginalized and discriminated minority groups
in Tanzania. O�en lashing out against injus�ces whenever people take
law into their own hands.
As an accomplished human rights lawyer with a razor-sharp legal mind
and self-effacing demeanor, he seamlessly never failed in his quest to
see jus�ce is being done. Just recently, March 2017, he foiled an
a�empt to lynch two suspected fraudsters, who were on the verge of being set ablaze by an angry mob in
a sprawling Dar es Salaam suburb, a�er they were accused of cajoling (with intent to defraud) a female
shop owner using fake bank notes. He applied his skills in social psychology to convince the rowdy mob to
take the suspects to the nearby police sta�on for ques�oning and subsequent legal ac�ons instead of
killing them.
As a social researcher, who rose from the humble beginnings to feature prominently in local and interna-
�onal scenes as a human rights ac�vist, Onesmo has developed a strong moral compass to defend social
causes. His dis�nc�vely human and humane personality and his eloquence for social jus�ce have
undoubtedly planted a kernel that endures. Hundreds of youth are therefore automa�cally inspired to join
the field of human rights.
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4. The year 2017, for instance, has par�cularly been crucial one for Onesmo, personally and professionally
as he marks 1 years of human rights ac�vism. His love for human rights defense started all the way back
in April 200 when he was a student at Dakawa High school. nraged by lack of important services at the
school, he led a group of students to strike demanding water and electricity services for the school.
nesmo is someone who is er authoritati e and li es to ste
forward and lead the other remem er during the water crisis in
a awa igh chool in he mo ilized us to demand for the
ser ice through a successful demonstration ecause students could
no longer use the water from the orehole due to administrati e
issues” sa s odfre om i who was his
ice President in a awa high school
As a versa�le figure, always willing to learn new things, Onesmo has
a�ended and presented papers in various local, regional, and interna-
�onal, human rights gatherings.
He is certainly a reservoir of knowledge, with deep understanding on human rights, interna�onal human
rights law, research, social jus�ce, good governance, African Pastoralism, policy, let alone poli�cal issues.
In terms of leadership, Onesmo s mentors say was certainly born a leader. Driven by his ins�ncts and
innate desire to lead. Onesmo is a person of mixed talents with a huge poten�al and capability to lead the
others kabisama recounts
His ability to guide others as a head prefect in his primary school days, and as a hairperson of Dakawa
Students overnment from 200 to 200 , and Subsequently a hairperson of Tanzania atholic Youth
ings in Dakawa, before he became the Secretary University of Dar es Salaam aw Society and President
of University of Dar es Salaam Human Rights Associa�on between 200 and 200 , have all shaped this
current leadership role in sustainable human rights work and the ivil Society Organiza�on sector.
As the President of the University s Human rights Associa�on he fiercely campaigned against the death
penalty while organizing conferences on many subjects including the Rwanda enocide and gruesome
killings of people with albinism.
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e’s one of the most dedicated human rights defenders in frica with
e erience in ecurit and Protection Management ecurit Manage-
ment and is ssessment e ort riting and Pro ect Management ”
a s ic tetema the e ecuti e director of nder he ame un
hroughout the ears e en when still at the uni ersit le gurumwa
has een wor ing with other human rights defender to romote the
rights of the downtrodden marginalized women children astoralists
ersons with disa ilities and e en ournalists and oliticians ”
ic tetema adds

5. He also coordinated public lectures, seminars, researches, and workshops to highlight legal issues and
raise awareness among students and members of the community from the university’s Law Society where
he had also served as the secretary.
ased on his immense knowledge in the human rights field, Onesmo joined the Dar es Salaam- based
egal and Human Rights entre immediately a�er his first degree where he worked as a researcher and
writer of Tanzania’s human rights reports between 2010 and 2012.
The three-year s�nt at the pres�gious human rights organiza�on completely transformed him profession-
ally and enabled him to embark on a journey to fulfill his passion. He s trainable, exible and listener who
was quick to catch up with issues”Kabisama says.
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6. As an expert who has wri�en widely, Onesmo s work has been quoted in many publica�ons and is a source
of reference for fellow researchers. Onesmo has vast experience working with various mul�cultural com-
muni�es locally and abroad. ith more than a decade of experience, he has crisscrossed all regions in
Tanzania researching on and defending human rights.
He has lectured at various universi�es on the concept of human rights defenders and human rights in
general. At some point, Onesmo works as a consultant in various fields such as human rights, Africa pasto-
ralism, democracy elec�on, safety and security of journalists and human rights defenders.
At a tender age of 1 he rose into the ranks to become the co-founder and the first a�onal oordinator
of Tanzania Human Rights Defenders oali�on a donor-funded umbrella organiza�on with more than
1 0 members. Some of his responsibili�es include ensuring the e cient func�oning of the oali�on
focusing on a five- year Strategic Plan for 201 -2017.
Under his leadership the coali�on s members surged from 1 in 201 to more than 1 0 in 2017 including
individual HRDs, nonprofit organisa�ons and journalists. In the course of four years over a thousand
defenders have been served by the coali�on.
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7. Importantly, Onesmo s personality and coordina�on capacity has helped shaping the oali�on, in terms of
building solidarity and networking among ivil Society Organiza�ons in Tanzania.
The oali�on is now trusted and is a point of reference to other similar organiza�ons across the region. For
instance, the oali�on hosted the newly established Somali oali�on for two weeks in 201 and later the
Uganda HRDs oali�on in 201 visited Tanzania oali�on for learning purposes.
Under Onesmo s leadership, the oali�on is also hailed for being innova�ve, current, and exible organiza-
�on with a unique style of handling its affairs for be�er results and achievement. The oali�on is striving
to work closely with local, regional, and interna�onal HRDs organiza�ons development partners and the
United a�ons.
Onesmo has a�ended and presented reports and papers in the African ommission on Human and
People s Rights, uropean Human Rights Forums, Dublin Human Rights Defenders Forum, reat akes ivil
Society Forum, U and AU SOs forums and the United a�on Human Rights ouncil in eneva.
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is wor with human rights defenders is e cellent indeed his organization is er res onsi e
and roacti e he last training from them made me more careful and sometimes worried ut is
a realit had to mo e m o ce to more safe areas with more tight securit measures including
the re iew our securit s stems ” a s Maanda goiti o irector Pastoralist omen Council
in rusha and most at ris woman s in anzania
am articularl im ressed with his le el of communication without necessaril regardless of
the time his hone is alwa s on which gi es securit ho e and assurance that we can alwa s
get hel from his organization in case of emergenc ” e lained father Maanda goiti o
nesmo has done a tremendous amount of rotection ca acit uilding wor on ehalf of the
human rights defenders in anzania said assan hire ecuti e irector efend efenders
ne of the most e ecti e Coalitions that we get to see in frica is the anzanian coalition”
sa s lo s a imana frica egional Coordinator for rontline efenders rganization ased
in u lin reland during the third anni ersar of the anzania human rights defenders da

8. He has won numerous awards including; Best student in Self-reliance 1997, Best student in Leadership
2004 and 2009, Best student in sports and Best Human Rights Defender in the Eastern Africa by East and
Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network in 2016. “
A na�ve Maasai known for his colorful cultural expressions, Onesmo has, not without profit, embraced
his culture. His late father was a Maasai tradi�onal leader in oliondo be�er known as aigwanan, leading
his almost diminishing age set ( yangusi). As he travels locally and interna�only, it s easy to see Onesmo
dressed in his colorful red shawl and dis�nc�ve Maasai Jewelry. He some�mes prefers to have a small
Maasai club carved tradi�onally.
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“I can describe him as a Leader, a diplomat, and a great networker. He knows how to create
colla oration and ring e erience from across the continent home ogether with his
colleagues he initiated the networ and too it at its o timum e alwa s rings issues of s
in anzania at international fora for conserted strategies and solutions nesmo lengurumwa
is a uni er” a s ose h i anda Coordinator Pan frican uman ights efenders etwor

9. Although he doesn’t have braided hair and distended earlobes as it is the case for most Maasai Laigwanan,
for Onesmo it is possible to balance human rights and his culture.
As the adage “Charity begins at home” goes; being a resident of Loliondo, Onesmo has been in the fore-
front in the movement to defend Maasai land from being grabbed by nefarious investors.
God-fearing and a devout catholic who crossed over from Lutheran before dreaming of becoming a catho-
lic priest, Onesmo s religious views remain moderate and selec�ve. He describes religion as something to
be seen in the four- eyes prism to avoid plunging oneself into human-made controversies. As a married
man blessed with children, he nevertheless respects people with religious view other than his own.
Despite his busy schedule he always spare some�me to spend with the family and children.
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“He’s an avid defender of human rights and the voice for the pastoralists and pastoralists human
rights defenders who ha e een ersecuted in their own land e has acti el defended asto-
ralists acti ists in oliondo and he has re resented them in national regional and international
dialogues” sa s annic doin o ard Councilor loloso wan oliondo and irector amat-
oundation

10. He s an avid reader, always si�ing through piles of reports and books even in his old-model Toyota RA .
Journalists call him round the clock, seeking his opinion on a range of na�onal and interna�onal issues. He
could even park his car and respond to journalists calls for his opinion on various issues.
This is a half-life �me achievement that most young men and women will desire to a�ain. Despite security
threats in this work, such as being branded non-ci�zens, inciters or non-patrio�c, Onesmo see more
decades ahead in the field of human rights. He is a fearless defender who doesn t see the need to change
course in the middle of the fight despite the risk. For him, leaving his job to become a poli�cian is a total
demo�on.
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Kenneth Simbaya, former Union of Tanzania Press Clubs President describes him as staunch a
human right acti ist who is unsha en when it comes to standing and ad ocating for u holding
human rights nesmo elie es in uilding leaders he has ins ired man oung eo le among
them enedict sha a a i who now wor s with i os anzania ”

11. His advice to young human rights defenders is to work hard and shape their careers while in school and
sustain it for the en�re life. Onesmo believes the work of human rights promo�on and protec�on requires
everyone on board. Human rights are well protected if everyone takes this responsibility regardless age
orienta�on.
Onesmo believes that human rights defenders should be prepared and nurtured from school to college
level. Having a good number of youth well trained on how to promote and protect human rights while in
schools and colleges would help to create a good pool of human rights defenders in the future. The sustai-
bility of human rights ac�vi�es in Tanzania depends on how young people are mo�vated to join the field
of human rights since their childhood. ikewise, young human rights leaders are the leaders of tomorrow
and therefore it is his hope that his proffessional history will inspire many future HRDs.
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HIS MOTTO
“ONCE A HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER ALWAYS A
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER”
opngurumwa gmail.com