The residents had gathered along the road from the airport to the State House and had thronged the airport grounds since early afternoon, defying the scorching sun, to wait for their guest.

Air Force One touched down at the Mwalimu J.K Nyerere (Dar es Salaam) International Airport at 6.40 pm but people had gathered at he airport as early as 2.00pm. Except for security organs and very senior government officers, no one knew exactly when President Bush would arrive.

President Bush who is accompanied by his wife, Laura Bush and Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, also inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by members of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces after the national anthems of the two countries were played.

Later while in the company of his host President Jakaya Kikwete, President Bush then drove through various streets of Dar es Salaam city as people jostled each other on both sides of the roads to have a glimpse of the American President.

Earlier in the day, some major roads that were to be used by President Bush’s motorcade were sealed off. Three of them would remain closed from the public for the four days that President Bush would be in the country.

According to the Director of Communications in the State House, Salva Rweyemamu, the US President will on Sunday morning sign the Millennium Challenge Agreement an agreement with his host that would enable Tanzania to get USD 698 million.

The money would be spent for implementation of projects in the health sector, particularly HIV/AIDS, construction of roads and improvement of electricity supply projects.

President Bush would later in the day visit Amana Hospital in the city which undertakes HIV/AIDS funded by the USA.

President Bush will on Monday travel to Arusha where he will also conduct several activities, details of which, however, have not been released. He will come back to Dar es Salaam Tuesday morning and conclude his visit to Tanzania later in the day.

Meanwhile a section of Tanzanian Moslems on Friday afternoon stage a peaceful demonstration to protest against President Bush’s visit to the country.

The demonstrators who were led by firebrand Muslims including Sheikhs Ponda Issa Ponda, Kundecha and Basalehe accused the US for oppressing Muslims in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Afghanistan. They were also against the US plan of establishing the Africa Command (AFRICOM) and urged Tanzanians not to accept the plan as it would infringe the country’s freedom jeopardize its security. ”Bush has come to strengthen the AFRICOM agenda and nothing else,” alleged one of the leaders of the demonstration.

There are unofficial reports that negotiations between the Tanzania government and the USA are going o so that the latter may establish a military base on one of the islands.

While the Muslims went ahead with the demonstration, other groups which had planned a similar activity during Bush’s visit have cancelled their plans.

The groups include members of the opposition political party, the Civic United Front (CUF) from Temeke District in Dar es Salaam, members of the University of Dar es Salaam Academic Staff Association(UDASA) and the Dar es Salaam University Students Organisation (DARUSO).

Keywords: tanzania