Tanzania - The African Mirror

Sep

10

2024

Brutal abduction and murder of Tanzanian opposition leader shakes nation to its core

NEWS

IN a shocking act of violence that has sent tremors through Tanzania's political landscape, Ally Kibao, a senior official of the main opposition party CHADEMA, was brutally murdered following a brazen daylight abduction. This horrific incident, as reported by Reuters and local sources, has not only stunned the nation but also cast a long shadow over President Samia Suluhu Hassan's reformist agenda. The chilling sequence of events unfolded near the Kibo area in Tegeta, Dar es Salaam, as Kibao travelled on a Tashriff bus from Dar es Salaam to Tanga. In a scene reminiscent of a carefully orchestrated operation, two…

Aug

27

2024

By NAMHLA LANDANI and ARTHUR KHOMOTSO MAHUMA

Maize prices in Kenya and Malawi have soared, but Tanzania’s haven’t: economists explain why

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

FOR more than a year maize prices in Kenya and Malawi have been much higher compared with other countries in the East and Southern Africa (ESA) region. Several factors explain this. In Malawi, high fertiliser prices which resulted in lower fertiliser usage affected maize supply. This was compounded by adverse weather and trade bans, leading to lower-than-usual production. In Kenya, high maize prices have been driven up by excessive margins. Sellers are charging prices that are more than the import parity price – the maize price from surplus-producing countries, plus transport costs for importing into Kenya. This is particularly concerning…

Aug

06

2024

By AMY S. PATTERSON; MEGAN HERSHEY and TRACY KUPERUS

Young, urban, African: research explores what it means to be a good citizen in Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania

NEWS

YOUNG people between the ages of 18 and 35 make up two-thirds of Africa’s population. The number is expected to reach 75% by 2030. They live in an environment of rapid urbanisation, high unemployment rates and poor state services. These are some of the factors that incline young people towards political involvement – as seen in Kenya and Uganda most recently. As the Kenya example illustrates, youth can use protests, advocacy, or voting to express their citizenship. At its most basic, citizenship is a legal recognition by the state that gives individuals rights and obligations. But it’s more than that.…

Jul

26

2024

By STEPHEN GRANGER, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Road to Paris: Marathon contenders from Tanzania, Uganda, and Lesotho aim to upset legendary Ethiopians and Kenyans

SPORT

WITH the countdown to the Paris Olympics entering its final stretch, most attention in the marathon event remains focused on the formidable marathon talents of Kenyan, Ethiopian, and South African runners. However, athletes from other African nations could have a significant impact in Paris. Tanzania is gearing up to challenge its northern rivals with hopes pinned on its leading marathoners. Gabriel Geay clocked an impressive 2:03:00 in Valencia in 2022, and Magdalena Shauri ran 2:18:41 in Berlin in 2023. The duo head the list of Africa's top marathon contenders outside the world-leading Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes. Two other Tanzanian qualifiers…

Jul

23

2024

By The African Mirror

President of Tanzania fires two key cabinet ministers

NEWS

TANZANIA'S President Samia Suluhu Hassan has dismissed two key cabinet members, including the foreign minister, as she aims to rebuild trust with foreign nations regarding her economic and political reform agenda. The presidency announced that Hassan had terminated the appointments of January Makamba, minister of foreign affairs and East Africa cooperation, and Nape Nnauye, minister of information, communication and information technology. Hassan has appointed new ministers and deputy ministers: - Deogratius John Ndejembi: Minister of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development - Ridhiwani Kikwete: Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office - Cosatto Chumi: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs…

Jul

16

2024

By AIKANDE CLEMENT KWAYU

Tanzania’s election laws make it hard to build political opposition – what needs to change

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

TANZANIANS go to the polls this year in local elections to vote for street and village chairpersons. This will be followed by a general election next year for councillors, members of parliament and the president. Both sets of elections are being watched closely. They’re the first to be held following a raft of changes over the past eight years to drag Tanzania away from its history of operating as a one-party state and towards a more multiparty arrangement. This history has included restrictions on opposition parties’ activities. For example, between 2016 and 2023, political rallies were banned in Tanzania. This…

May

26

2024

By The African Mirror

Eleven killed in Tanzania sugar factory accident

NEWS

ELEVEN people including three foreigners were killed in an accident at a major sugar factory in Tanzania, police said. The incident occurred in the pre-dawn hours as technical workers at the privately owned Mtibwa Sugar plant in the east of the country were preparing to restart production after a break, Alex Mkama, police commander of Morogoro Region, told Reuters. He did not give any details, but Tanzania's Mwananchi newspaper reported that a pipe carrying steam had exploded. Mkama said police had found the bodies of 11 men at the scene and two injured people were also being treated in a…

May

03

2024

By The African Mirror

Kenya flood toll rises to 181 as homes and roads are destroyed

NEWS

FLOODS and landslides across Kenya have killed 181 people since March, with hundreds of thousands forced to leave their homes, the government and Red Cross said, as dozens more were killed in neighbouring Tanzania and Burundi. Torrential rain and floods have destroyed homes, roads, bridges and other infrastructure across the region. The death toll in Kenya exceeds that from floods triggered by the El Nino weather phenomenon late last year. In the central Kenyan town of Mai Mahiu, where at least 48 died in flash floods on Monday, two bodies were recovered from the debris on Wednesday, Kenya Red Cross South Rift…

Apr

17

2024

By The African Mirror

Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe join African recall of J&J cough syrup

NEWS

DRUG regulators in Tanzania, Rwanda and Zimbabwe have recalled a batch of Johnson & Johnson children's cough syrup as a precautionary measure after their Nigerian counterpart said laboratory tests found high levels of toxicity. The countries join Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in recalling the same batch of the syrup, which is used to treat coughs, hay fever and other allergic reactions in children. South Africa has also recalled an additional batch. Laboratory tests on the syrup by Nigeria's health regulator showed a high level of diethylene glycol, which has been linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia, Uzbekistan…

Apr

17

2024

By NICODEMUS MINDE

Tanzanians go to the polls in 2025: President Samia has changed the landscape, but Magufuli’s legacy persists

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IT'S been three years since the death of Tanzania’s president John Magufuli and the rise to power of the current president Samia Suluhu Hassan. Magufuli was Tanzania’s fifth president. He came to power in 2015 and was re-elected in 2020 in a poll that was marred by controversy. Magufuli brought lasting changes to Tanzania’s political landscape during his six-year tenure. His approach sparked differing opinions, both within the country and on the international stage. Inside the country, he was loved and loathed almost in equal measure. To his detractors, his administration was marked by a decline in political and civic…