The Mawalla Way

If you refuse to be made straight when you are green, you will not be made straight when you are dry.

‘Msongoru’ is the Chagga word for lawyer. It means ‘the person who walks in front’. Describing a guide, a sage, a trusted advisor, this definition is at the heart of The Mawalla Way, which channels our endeavours to be both ethical and practical, spiritual and functional, mindful of our past and our future.

We always aim:

To be forthright from the first; to accurately identify those clients we can help and those we cannot, so not to waste their time or ours.

To be efficient with our energy; to achieve optimal results for our chosen clients in the safest, quickest and most economical way.

To be realistic; to bring to bear elements of legal and financial literacy (the ability to create and manage wealth) in such a way that our clients’ investments and business ideals are protected with diligence, care and excellence, without unnecessary complexity or gratuitous recourse to protracted and costly litigation.

To leave no stone unturned; to be tenacious whether in support of a client, in defence of the courts or in the promotion of fairness, impartiality and integrity.

To be an example to all; embodying the highest standards of reasoning, courtesy, independence and confidentiality.

To be nobody’s darling; to stand alone for as long as it takes, risking popularity and favour, in a quest to do what must be done and say what must be said.

Origins of the Mawalla Way

Founded as Tanzania’s first indigenous-owned law firm by the distinguished Juma Reginald Sawaya Mawalla in 1961, the Mawalla Group is a pioneering legal and corporate services concern practicing in the United Republic of Tanzania from offices in Arusha and Dar es Salaam.  Our Mawalla name is derived from the Chagga word ‘nekewalawala’, which means the generous one, the one who shares his knowledge and wealth with many.

The rich values embodied in the Mawalla Way are imbedded in the heart of the Mawalla Group. These are the foundation upon which we build our knowledge of legal wealth protection and creation. 

Mawalla’s mission is to manage the wealth of those who have, and to unlock value for those who don’t, creating wealth and improving the plight of all, and making the most of generations of invaluable experience in navigating the intricacies of Tanzania’s three legal systems.

Indeed, as the hands of those who came before us helped shape the past, we in the Mawalla Group are now helping to shape Tanzania’s future.