Tanzania Foreign Investment News (Page 43)

Zanzibar — TO the former Zanzibar president, Amani Karume, the idea of becoming a leader of the country never crossed his mind before because he did not like politics in the first place. Not that he doubted his ability to lead and perform. The first born to the founding and perform.

The first born to the founding President of Zanzibar, Abeid Amani Karume, is known for his political savvy and strong management skills when he worked in the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar as Chief Treasurer and Principal Secretary in various ministries in the 1970.

He has been credited for hard work and dedication and for maintaining professional integrity in the workplace during that time.

Dr Karume told Tanzania Standard Newspapers Limited’s (TSN) editorial team in a recent exclusive interview in Unguja that it did not occur to him that he would become a politician simply because did not like politics and the government system with a lot of red tapes.

“I hate the excessive government bureaucracy. I have always enjoyed doing my things, freely,” he said in response to what was his inspiration for politics.

His dislike to politics contributed to his focus on private life after a tour of office in the 1970’s. He either did not fancy the idea of being president like his father. He preferred to lead private life and manage his businesses.

However, some elders had different ideas. An academic product of Unguja-based Lumumba Secondary School, the 76-year-old Karume joined the government in 1970 as an accountant and in one decade he rose through the ranks to become principal secretary in three different ministries.

The dockets he served with the years in brackets are finance (1971-1974); planning (1974-1978); and communications and transport (1978-1980).

“After ten years in the government, I willingly opted out to work privately where enjoyed my freedom. As I have said, I have issues with government overly bureaucracy,” Dr Karume said.

In the private sector, the former Isles leader worked for hardly five years before a group of elders whom he describes as “my late father’s friends,” approached him in 1985, asking him to stand for Raha Leo’s seat in the Zanzibar’s House of Representatives. “I initially refused but they insisted on me to rethink. I continued with my works unaware that they were serious about the proposal,” Dr Karume says, adding that the same group approached him with the same demand in the 1990 polls. “This time I agreed…I picked the form and thanks to their support and all voters, I entered the House of Representatives triumphantly with a landslide victory,” he said.

Dr Karume served as Raha Leo’s representative for two consecutive terms after he was re-elected in 1995. And, luckily, he was in the cabinet during all his periods in the House of Representatives.

His predecessor Dr Salmin Amour nominated him as Minister of Trade in 1990 through 1995 and Minister for Communications and Transportation from 1995 to 2000.

“Hopefully, I performed well in the eyes of my constituents. The same elders approached me in 2000, this time with a bigger proposal – the presidency,” Dr Karume recalls, adding: “I had never imagined the presidency.” He says he had no fear because he was familiar with the government operations and knew what was waiting ahead of him. “So, you can see again, it wasn’t me but elders and all Zanzibaris who wanted me into the presidency.

Otherwise, with my only one vote, there was nothing I could do to become president.” Yet, it was a hard and challenging time for Dr Karume to decide. While his father’s friends whom he said he respected craved for him to assume the presidency, his family was against it.

“My entire family – wife and children – opposed the idea of me vying for the presidency and sincerely speaking I assumed the office at the expense of my family,” he says, adding: “In my entire period of the presidency, my family was not very happy.

Happiness returned only after my retirement.” He became the president of the Indian ocean archipelago and was the only Zanzibar leader who did not sleep in the State House. “Of course, I slept in State House in my childhood, during my father’s reign (but) during my time (as a leader), I decided to stay at home to at least comfort the family.” He firmly believes that life at his own home was a relief to the family as compared to the tight security at the State House.

“Security was not as tight as State House. Remember this is my home, so unlike State House, I had discretion on some issues and my family members were relatively free.” Many parents wish their children to pursue their careers but not the former Isles leader who has discouraged his children from politics. “The least I would wish to see is one of my children entering politics,” he said.

“I discouraged all my children from politics and so far I haven’t seen any with that interest,” he says, noting that with his wife Shadya, God has blessed them with six children-two boys and four girls. During his leadership, Dr Karume groomed many leaders, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan being one of the products he is proud of. “I saw in her leadership talents and gladly I was right,” he said.

Who is Amani Abeid Karume?

Amani Abeid Karume was former president of Zanzibar holding the office from November 2000 to November 2010. He is the son of Zanzibar’s first president, Abeid Karume, and a member of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

Early life and career

A Muslim born in 1948, Karume was schooled at the Lumumba Secondary School until 1969 when he became an accountant.

During the 1970s he held various positions in the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar including Chief Treasurer (1970-1971), Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance (1971-1974), Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Planning (1974-1978), and Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Transport (1978-1980). During the 1980s, he worked as a private consultant for a British-based business in Zanzibar.

Karume returned to government and politics in 1990 when he was elected to the Zanzibar House of Representatives from the Raha Leo constituency. In 1995, he was re-elected to that position in multiparty polls. He entered politics in 1990, running for Raha Leo constituency as a Zanzibar Member of Parliament.

He was thereafter nominated as the Minister of Trade from 1990-1995 by President Salmin Amour. In 1995, he was re-elected for the same constituency and thereafter nominated as the Minister of Communication and Transportation.

Karume ran as CCM presidential candidate for Zanzibar and won 67.04 per cent of the vote in an October 2000 election. He was re-elected in the 30 October 2005 election, winning by 53.18 per cent Karume is married and is the father of six adult children.

Source: allafrica.com

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ZANZIBAR — THE United States government through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined Zanzibar government to commemorate World Malaria Day and announce a new wide-reaching mosquito nets’ distribution campaign across the Islands.

According to the 2022 Tanzania Malaria Indicator Survey, Zanzibar maintained a malaria rate of less than one per cent for more than a decade. This is due to substantial contributions from the US government through the President’s Malaria Initiative and collaboration with the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar. Recently, the numbers have risen.

“Despite the decrease in the number of malaria cases in Zanzibar, I have learned that, recently, there are some districts which have experienced an increase in malaria cases. This is not acceptable in Zanzibar. I ask that all measures be taken to control the cases by involving all responsible sectors,” said Zanzibar Minister for Health Nassor Ahmed Mazrui.

This year the World Malaria Day commemoration witnessed the launch of the insecticide-treated net (ITN) mass replacement campaign titled “Usingizi Bul Bul” (Comfortable Sleep). Led by the US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the campaign will distribute 782,000 nets across 314 Shehias in Unguja and Pemba. Zanzibar government also launched the End Malaria Council, which will bolster malaria elimination by advocating for more resources.

“The United States is honoured to join the Zanzibar government in launching the mass replacement campaign for all of Zanzibar and ensuring their proper use. Working together, we are moving communities from awareness to real action,” said USAID/Tanzania Mission Director Craig Hart during the event. “I congratulate the Zanzibar government for also launching the End Malaria Council, which will boost antimalaria programmes by advocating for more resources to support malaria interventions, including partnerships with the private sector.” This mass replacement campaign represents an innovative and comprehensive approach to malaria elimination.

It will use an electronic system to track the quantities of nets, registration of households, and net issuance. It will use SMS to inform households to collect their nets and to distribute messages on net use and care. This system has been supported by the U.S. government through PMI.

Implemented by USAID and CDC, PMI began partnering with Tanzania in 2006 and has invested more than 747 million US dollars in the country.

The United States remains deeply committed to continuing to partner with the government, civil society organisations and the people of Tanzania in the ongoing fight to eliminate malaria and improve the health and wellbeing of its citizens.

Source: allafrica.com

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Tanzania na Somalia zimekubaliana mambo makuu matatu ya ushirikiano katika sekta ya afya ikiwemo matibabu ya kibingwa na ubingwa bobezi.Continue Reading

By LUKE ANAMI

By EMMANUEL ONYANGO

By GILBERT MWIJUKE

By MOSES K. GAHIGI

The past two weeks have been disastrous in East Africa as heavy rains caused floods leading to the loss of hundreds of lives, displacement of thousands and damage to property. A spot check by The EastAfrican shows that Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi have been worst hit by the storms, with highways and railways temporarily closed.

Experts warn that Tanzania, one of the sources of food to the region, will realise reduced yields by up to 30 percent due to the impact of the floods.

Government Spokesperson Mobhare Matinyi said 8,532 houses have been damaged in Morogoro and Coast regions and 76,698 hectares of farms destroyed.

The country’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told Parliament flooding had left at least 236 injured, while more than 10,000 houses had been damaged and upwards of 200,000 people affected.

“The heavy El Nino rains, accompanied by strong winds and flooding and landslides in various parts of the country have caused adverse effects,” Mr Majaliwa said.

The rains cut off movement between Kenya and Tanzania on the Nairobi-Namanga highway for the better part of Wednesday, after the Athi River burst its banks flooding a large part of residential and industrial areas in Kajiado and Machakos counties.

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Red Cross and other volunteers rescued 96 people marooned in Athi River.

Read: Heavy rains pound Kenya as people count property losses

The matter is a subject of discussion in the Council of Ministers meetings going on in Tanzania.

“Flooding caused by the Athi River led to the temporary closure of the Namanga road and we, as East African Community ministers, are going to meet to discuss how to deal with floods,” said Peninah Malonza, Kenya’s EAC Cabinet Secretary, who is in Arusha to discuss the EAC budget for the financial year 2024/25.

“We are going to Arusha and later Dar es Salaam and we hope to have a meeting over the matter.”

The Kenya Meteorological Department issued a heavy rainfall advisory.

In Uganda, flash floods made movement on the Northern Corridor difficult.

Earlier this week, the Masaka-Mbarara highway – which is also Uganda’s main trade route to Rwanda and the DR Congo – was cut off by floods, paralysing traffic and trade.

A section of Kampala-Masaka highway between Busega and Kyengera, a few kilometres outside the city caved in on Sunday, according to the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) spokesperson, Allan Ssempebwa.

“We are experiencing a failure at the section of the highway, the drainage systems have collapsed… What we are doing right now is mobilizing materials and other necessary equipment to intervene as quickly as possible,” Mr Ssempebwa said.

The Masaka-Mbarara highway is an economic lifeline for Uganda because it is the main trade route connecting Uganda to Rwanda and the DR Congo.

The highway is one of the busiest in the country, with an estimated average daily traffic of more than 30,000 vehicles.

The southwestern part of Uganda is also the source of much of the food consumed in Kampala. Many traders were stranded on the road and made huge losses because their foodstuffs, especially bananas, were spoilt before reaching the market. Vehicles snaked through the rugged, potholed and narrow marram roads to reach or get out of Kampala.

“During this rainy season we know that anything can happen so we have put together an emergency response team that’s now always on standby to respond to flooding across the country,” Mr Ssempebwa said.

The Uganda National Meteorological Authority had announced that the country would receive above-normal rainfall in April.

This week, the Kyambogo-Banda road was also cut off while in the Industrial Area traders were left counting losses as they kept their shops closed due to flooding.

The National Meteorological Authority said on Friday that the country would continue to experience more rain and that the northern part of the country was at risk of floods.

“The country is experiencing isolated thundershowers. These conditions will continue with a few regions like West Nile, Midwestern, central North, Kyoga, and Kigezi getting sunny intervals. Eyes on the North which may get floods in lowlands,” the Authority said on X.

In Tanzania, by Wednesday this week, the government had announced the deaths of 63 people. The Coastal areas are particularly at risk, with the potential of flooding and disruptions to key economic activities such as fishing and maritime transport. The agency’s acting director-general Ladislaus Chang’a cited Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Morogoro, Mtwara and Lindi, including Mafia Island, as well as Pemba and Zanzibar as high-risk regions. Others are Mwanza, Masra, Simiyu, Kagera, Kigoma and Shinyanga.

Around the Rufiji River Basin, thousands of people residing in valleys and close to big rivers have been forcibly moved. The rains have caused landslides in Arusha and Manyara, where houses and road have been damaged.

In Dar es Salaam city, roads such as Morogoro Road near Jangwani and Mkwajuni in Kinondono suburb were temporarily closed.

Eight camps have been established in the Coast region to accommodate 1,529 flood survivors and one in Morogoro.

The government has provided 40,000 tonnes of foodstuffs such as maize and rice and medicines and medical equipment worth $83,588 were donated to the people in the camps.

Read: From killer droughts to devastating floods

In Burundi, Lake Tanganyika’s rising waters invaded the port of Bujumbura, disrupting business and making movement difficult for people and goods. Intense rainfall has affected various regions in Kenya, especially the Coast, Nairobi, Central, Western Highlands, Rift Valley, Lake Victoria Basin, Southeastern lowlands and the Northeastern region.

The rising waters of Lake Tanganyika have caused the Kanyosha River to overflow, damaging homes and other property in Bujumbura. Burundi’s Interior Minister Martin Niteretse called for support in managing the crisis.

“We ask our development partners to combine efforts with the state of Burundi to help all people affected by these disasters,” Mr Niteretse said.

In neighbouring Rwanda, 4,800 families, from 326 identified disaster high-risk zones have been moved to safety, as the country braced for floods.

Although no large-scale flooding has been reported so far, the authorities are not taking chances, especially as memories of the more than 130 lives lost a year ago still linger.

“We informed the people in disaster hot-spot areas beforehand, more than 4,800 families have been moved from these areas from 326 identified disaster high-risk zones,” said Adalbert Rukebanuka, director-general of risk reduction, planning, and mainstreaming at the Ministry of Emergency Management.

“At the moment we haven’t yet got many cases of disaster-induced deaths or destruction, we are getting few reports in different parts of the country, but we believe the worst is yet to come,” said the official.

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President Nangolo Mbumba yesterday morning travelled to attend the 60th anniversary celebration of the Union Day of the Republic of Tanzania.

The event marks the historic merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar into the United Republic of Tanzania on 26 April 1964.

In his message of felicitation availed to Nampa yesterday, Mbumba said Namibia and Tanzania share historic ties, dating to the liberation struggle of Namibia when the Swapo movement decided to pursue the fight for freedom and resistance against apartheid colonialism, Tanzania was one of the first and foremost countries that opened its doors to Namibian freedom fighters.

He indicated that Tanzania further facilitated training for soldiers who were to participate in the armed liberation struggle.

“Tanzania was not only the hotbed of political organisation for Swapo by hosting the Consultative Congress in 1969 at Tanga, it was equally a key transit point for Namibians en route to different destinations in pursuit of education,” he noted.

The Head of State said Tanzania provided its best talents to train Namibians at the United Nations Institute for Namibia (UNIN) in

Lusaka, Zambia, adding that Tanzania agitated at the United Nations in support of Namibia’s cause for freedom.

“The support rendered by the people and the government of Tanzania to Namibians is immeasurable, and played a pivotal role in our

path towards independence. Namibians owe Tanzanians a huge debt of gratitude for the support and friendship during the liberation struggle,” said Mbumba.

He indicated the Diamond Jubilee of independence of Tanzania is a reminder of the remarkable victories that can be achieved through

unity, determination and solidarity, noting that in the common fight during the second phase of the struggle, that of economic emancipation, there should be continuous efforts to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Namibia and Tanzania. “Let us collectively strive for the prosperity and well-being of our people, and harness the potential of our bilateral partnership to address the myriad of challenges facing our continent, including poverty, inequality and climate change,” he said.

The President will return on Saturday.

– Nampa

Source: allafrica.com

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Downpours have killed at least 200 people and submerged homes and farms in Tanzania, Kenya and Burundi.

At least 200 people were killed and dozens more were injured across East Africa in recent days, officials and aid groups said, as torrential rains, floods and landslides pummeled towns and cities in a region already grappling with the devastating effects of the climate change crisis and dilapidated infrastructure in poor areas.

The extreme rains unleashed a wave of destruction across Tanzania, Kenya and Burundi, flooding homes, demolishing businesses and leaving many people stranded on rooftops.

The downpours exposed yet again the bad roads and poor drainage systems in some of the region’s biggest cities, which residents have persistently complained about. They also revealed how poor people, who live in sprawling shantytowns without access to proper roads, water or power, bear the biggest brunt of destructive floods.

On Thursday, activists and opposition figures across the region called on governments to do more than respond to the extensive destruction wrought by floods, by improving infrastructure to lessen or prevent such flooding in the first place.

Raila Odinga, a longtime opposition figure in Kenya, said authorities should learn from the ongoing devastation and take long-term measures to save lives.

“Preparedness is key to forestalling a crisis of larger proportions,” Mr. Odinga said in a news conference. “We can do better than crying for help when the rains come and crying for help again when the rains fail.”

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Source: nytimes.com

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