Tanzania Dar es Salaam. KCB Bank has graduated to tier one status after increasing its asset value to Sh1.04 trillion. For a bank to earn tier one status, the highest ranking in the banking industry, it should boast assets of at least Sh1 trillion, according to the Bank of Tanzania (BoT).
The growth in the KCB’s assets, which is equivalent to a 105 percent increase within five years, was mainly driven by growth in customer deposits and profit, according to the bank’s managing director, Cosmas Kimario.
He revealed that customer deposits grew by over 103 percent in the last five years (2017–22), while profit before tax grew by 182 percent in the same period.
“We are grateful that our bank is now one of the big lenders in Tanzania’s banking sector,” underscored Mr Kimario.
He said the bank’s handsome performance was triggered by strong bank strategies as well as improvement in the country’s business environment. Deploying digital technology in its operations was cited as another key driver for the growth. The bank, said Mr Kimario, had focused on strengthening service delivery through alternative channels as opposed to branch networks alone.
“Digital services like internet banking, mobile banking and point of sale have increased efficiency in service delivery to our customers,” he recounted.
“Above all, we have been investing in human resources to speed up our efficiency.”
The bank’s board chairman, John Ulanga said the bank was implementing an expansion plan to reach more Tanzanians across the country.
“We have a strategy to ensure organic expansion by opening five new branches in different regions with business potential in the near future.”
The bank’s head of finance, Mr Willis Mbatia, said that the KCB Bank’s profit before tax by the third quarter ending September 2022 was Sh22.4billion.
This, he said, is an increase of 39 percent compared to the same period in 2021.
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Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.
While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public health researcher
Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday).
“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.
Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.
The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.
“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.
She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.
“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.
Cross-border transmission
The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.
The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.
Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”
The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.
The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.
Transparency urged
Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.
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“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.
WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.
“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.
The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Source: allafrica.com
Karume faults lease of Zanzibar Islets
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ZAT and Transworld, companies providing ground handling services at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, have to lay off workers to stay afloat.Continue Reading
