Informazioni personali

Cartoonist and illustrator, Popa Matumula, was born on Wednesday, June 25, 1969 in Tanzania. After completion of his secondary (Technical) education in 1987, he started his career as a freelance book illustrator and a cartoonist for a local comic magazine and newspapers.


Popa, also known as Kamtu, after his creation of a famous local cartoon character, Kamtu, has been in this field since then.


The cartoonist, who was the first in Tanzania to draw editorial cartoons that challenged the system under the then one-party political system through bi-weekly political tabloid, Fahari, in late 80s, has contributed his cartoon services for almost all leading newspapers in Tanzania. Among them are Sunday News, Majira, Mtanzania, The African, The Citizen, Business Times, Uhuru/Mzalendo and in the two weekly comic (& satirical) tabloids, Sanifu (where he was among the key founders) and a short-lived Macho, the tabloid that was published by his own firm, Kamtu Ltd.


In addition, his cartoons have published in a number of publications abroad. Publications such as New African (UK), Newsweek (Korea edition), Los Angeles Times, The Post Star, Highsmith (US), KOSA Report, eins Entwicklungspolitik (Germany) and Farafina (Nigeria).


His cartoons, also, have exhibited in various exhibitions. Some of them are Political Cartoons & Caricatures in East Africa, Volkerkundemuseum Frankfurt (Germany), 2000 Political Elections in Tanzania, 2001 Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), 2002 & 2003 Press Freedom Day, Malaga University (Spain), 2007 & 2008 World Press Cartoon (Portugal), 2007 The Atrium, London School of Economics and Political Science (UK) and 2008 International Studies Association Annual Convention, San Francisco (US)



In 2001, he was one of the winners (Honorary mentioned) of the UN editorial cartoons competition- United Nations Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Award.


In 2007, he was the winner of Tanzania’s The Edward Moringe Sokoine Journalism Award (in cartoon category).


Popa, who does not take meat or smoke, believes that his editorial cartoons are his loudspeaker to express his views to the World.


He humiliates with the truth that only 20% of the World population benefit from 80% of the World’s wealth while 80% of the population scramble for remaining 20% of the wealth.


He resides in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.