Dar es Salaam. Tanzania and Kenya may have their differences but they are good friends as well, a business leader has said.
In his first wide-ranging interview since finalizing the takeover of Kenya’s Bamburi Cement, the group managing director at Amsons, Mr Edha Nahdi, says beyond the usual spats, the two countries are partners and that they have been embracing investors from either country with a lot of enthusiasm.
“Some see Kenya and Tanzania as fierce rivals, but it is a misconception that Tanzanians and Kenyans cannot work together,” Nahdi tells The Africa Report in an article that was published on March 19, 2025.
The Africa Report, a Paris-based English-language quarterly magazine that focuses on African politics and economics, quotes Nahdi as saying that while a number of Kenyan businesses and banks like KCB and Equity have operated successfully in Tanzania for 14 or 15 years, a number of Tanzanian firms have also successfully entered the Kenyan market.
“Likewise, when we entered Kenya, we received strong government support, a warm welcome and excellent cooperation,” Nahdi says in The Africa Report article.
He acknowledged Kenya’s advanced level over Tanzania in terms of the size of the economy and quickly noted that Tanzania’s was also expanding rapidly.
“That’s not to say we aren’t in different stages of development.” Kenya has a more advanced, mature economy. Meanwhile, Tanzania is rapidly growing and on the verge of significant expansion, with some sectors already maturing and presenting unique prospects. But rivals? No, our two countries are not rivals,” says Nahdi as quoted by The Africa Report.
Tanzania and Kenya, the two largest economies in the East African Community (EAC), are often engulfed in spats around non-tariff barriers but such difference have been diminishing over the years.
In early 2024, Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) introduced a two percent levy on cereals and legumes, sparking protests from Tanzanian traders and leading to the blockage of more than 40 trucks at the Namanga border.
Amsons has set its eyes on becoming the East Africa’s top cement maker after acquiring Bamburi Cement at $182 million in 2024; injecting $175 million to acquire 65 percent stake in Mbeya Cement in 2023 and the ongoing $320 million investment to the Bamburi clinkerisation unit in Mombasa.
According to The Africa Report however, as East African businesses like Amsons Group push for dominance in the region’s cement industry with major acquisitions, they face overwhelming competition from Chinese heavyweights.
“There was a lot of competition,” Nahdi said in the interview with The African Report.
“Companies from North Africa, India and China were all interested in the asset, so the bidding got quite fierce. Financially, we had to step outside our comfort zone to get the deal done.”
He told The Africa Report that Amsons spent nearly two years on the ground conducting market analysis before the Bamburi deal.
Apart from the $320 million investment to the Bamburi clinkerisation unit in Mombasa where the groundbreaking is planned for October and production should start 24 months later; two new greenfield cement plants in Tanzania, Amsons is also on the lookout for opportunities in Uganda.
“Uganda is a brother to Kenya and Tanzania – we are all part of the East African Community. In Uganda there are both greenfield and acquisition opportunities,” says Nahdi in the interview.
“For now, everything is on the table,” he tells The Africa Report.
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Inside Tanzania’s Life-Saving Birthcare Model
Tanzania is winning the battle against maternal and newborn deaths, as the latest numbers reveal a significant decline.
“Tanzania is committed to reducing maternal and newborn mortality and ensuring safe deliveries as part of the national development plan. The Safer Births Bundle of Care is one of the key strategies supporting this effort,” said Dr. Benjamin Kamala, the Senior Research Scientist at Haydom Lutheran Hospital and Principal Investigator for the program, leading its implementation across five regions in Tanzania.
A groundbreaking study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the innovative health program in Tanzania – centered on regular, on-the-job training for healthcare workers – reduced maternal deaths by 75% and early newborn deaths by 40%. The three-year study, conducted across 30 high-burden healthcare facilities in Tanzania, tracked approximately 300,000 mother-baby pairs under the Safer Births Bundle of Care (SBBC) programme. The programme focuses on improving care for mothers and babies during the day of birth, the critical time when a woman goes into labor and delivers her baby.
Maternal health is a key focus of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Target 3.1, which aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Tanzania’s program combines continuous, simulation-based training for frontline healthcare workers alongside innovative clinical tools to improve labour monitoring (fetal heart rate monitoring) and newborn resuscitation.It also uses data to drive ongoing improvements, ensuring that healthcare workers have the skills, confidence, and competence to manage birth-related complications for both mothers and newborns.
“We work closely with healthcare workers, equipping them with the necessary tools to improve the quality of care, ensuring they can effectively manage both mothers and babies during and after childbirth,” Dr. Kamala said, which helps them build on over a decade of innovative research and collaboration to improve care during childbirth.
“To give you a sense of the scale of the burden of maternal and newborn mortality in Tanzania when the Safer Births Bundles of Care program was in early development in 2015/16, there were around 556 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and 25 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births,” he said.
The published study demonstrates the “transformative impact” of the Safer Births Bundle of Care program conducted across 30 hospitals in five high-burden regions of Tanzania, where there were about 300,000 mother-baby pairs.
Maternal deaths at the start of the program were recorded at 240 per 100,000 live births, with postpartum hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders being the leading causes of death, he said. Over the 24-month study period, this number dropped to approximately 60 per 100,000 live births, representing a 75% reduction. The number of newborn deaths – which are primarily due to breathing difficulties and complications related to prematurity – declined by 40% – from 7 deaths per 1,000 live births to 4 deaths per 1,000 live births.
“These results are remarkable,” Dr. Kamala said.
According to Dr. Kamala, the 75% reduction in maternal deaths was not expected, and a key lesson was the important role of the in-situ team simulations – including for postpartum bleeding – with reflective debriefings that trained facilitators led.
“This seems to be a major part of the success of the program,” he said. “We are delighted by these results and hope that other countries adopt and scale the Safer Births Bundle of Care program… Beyond the numbers, the Safer Births Bundle of Care program has fostered a dramatic culture shift in our healthcare system,” he said. “Healthcare workers are now more confident and better equipped to handle birth-related complications for both mothers and babies.”
Maternal death drop
Dr. Kamala attributed the 60-70% reduction in newborn deaths in Geita and Manyara to several factors.
“Firstly, Manyara was the first site for implementation, giving the region more time to adapt and experience the impact of the program. Most importantly, both regions had a high burden of stillbirths and neonatal deaths, making them ideal targets for focused intervention. As a result, newborn deaths decreased by 60-70%, showcasing a clear positive impact on newborn survival,” he said.
Dr. Kamala said another possible explanation is the differences in the culture of practices, where some health facilities reported inaccurate data due to the fear of blame and shame. However, with the project’s implementation, reporting became more accurate after mplementation. Some regions, such as Tabora, reported an increase in the number of referrals to the study hospitals from other care centers after the program was implemented. These were more likely to be late admissions, which increase the likelihood of poor health outcomes, he said.
After the implementation of the program, there was a 40% decrease in newborn deaths within the first 24 hours after birth, according to the study.
Dr. Kamala said Tanzania’s remarkable progress in reducing maternal mortality by 80% is driven by strategic investments and innovative programs focused on improving maternal and child survival rates.
“Over 2,000 new healthcare facilities have been developed, free health services are being provided to expectant mothers and children under the age of five, and emergency obstetric care – including better transport to hospitals in rural areas are helping to ensure timely, life-saving interventions.
“Most importantly, the Ministry of Health works in collaboration with healthcare workers, hospitals, and development partners to strengthen the skills of frontline healthcare workers, which has been a key factor in driving this progress.
“Political leadership, alongside strategic partnerships and financing, has been crucial in driving progress in maternal and newborn health,” he said.
The program was made possible by the support of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents, Norad, UNICEF, and Laerdal Global Health, as well as the Ministry of Health and Haydom Lutheran Hospital. Their partnership and investment enabled the scaling of the Safer Births Bundle of Care to 30 hospitals and supported the research. “The government has now scaled the program to over 150 sites, and there are plans for further expansion to three regions this year and then nationally,” he said.
Dr. Kamala outlined key policy recommendations for other governments can adopt to prioritize maternal health.
“Firstly, it focuses on cost-effective and relatively simple interventions that are essential to preventing maternal and newborn deaths. For example, stronger primary healthcare that is delivered in the community and a well-trained healthcare workforce are also critical. Additionally, working in close collaboration with national, regional, and local health authorities is key.”
He said Tanzania’s approach, where the Safer Births Bundle of Care program was successfully scaled and sustained by aligning the initiative with national guidelines for obstetrical and newborn care. In addition, the creation of mentorship programs and regular supervision has helped to sustain the results.
Looking ahead
Tanzania now plans to expand to three new regions in 2025, followed by a nationwide rollout.
The success of the program has attracted interest from other countries, with Botswana, Ethiopia, Lesotho, and Namibia expressing interest in adapting the program to their healthcare system. In Nigeria, the program has already been launched in two states, Gombe and Borno, marking a significant step in its scaling.
Source: allafrica.com
Tanzania Declares Marburg Outbreak – Africa CDC Mobilizes Immediate Response
Addis Ababa, January 20, 2025</Strong> — Tanzania has declared a Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak after confirming one case and identifying 25 suspected cases in the Kagera Region of Northwestern Tanzania. The Marburg virus, a highly infectious and often fatal disease, is similar to Ebola and is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and monkeys. This outbreak marks the nation’s second encounter with the deadly virus, following the outbreak in Bukoba District of Kagera Region in March 2023, which resulted in nine cases and six deaths.
In response to this urgent threat, the Africa CDC is mobilizing strong support to help Tanzania contain the outbreak. A team of twelve public health experts will be deployed as part of an advance mission in the next 24 hours. The multidisciplinary team includes epidemiologists, risk communication, infection prevention and control (IPC), and laboratory experts to provide on-ground support for surveillance, IPC, diagnostics, and community engagement.
The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, has engaged with Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Minister of Health to ensure coordinated efforts and secure political commitment for the response.
“Africa CDC stands firmly with Tanzania in this critical moment. To support the government’s efforts, we are committing US$ 2 million to bolster immediate response measures, including deploying public health experts, strengthening diagnostics, and enhancing case management. Building on Tanzania’s commendable response during the 2023 outbreak, we are confident that swift and decisive action, combined with our support and those of other partners, will bring this outbreak under control,” Dr. Kaseya stated.
Africa CDC has recently supported efforts to enhance the diagnostic and sequencing capacity of public health laboratories in Tanzania. PCR Test kits and genomic sequencing reagents have been dispatched, with additional supplies in the pipeline. To ensure rapid identification and confirmation of cases, the institution will also provide technical assistance to strengthen detection and genome sequencing for better characterization of the pathogen. Additionally, support will be provided to improve case management protocols and enhance the capacity to deliver safe and effective treatment.
Africa CDC is committed to working closely with the Government of Tanzania, regional partners, international organizations, and global stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, to stop the spread of the Marburg virus.
Source: allafrica.com
‘Sovereignty alone won’t solve Zanzibar economic woes’
The ruling party in Zanzibar on Monday , March 13, responded to growing demands for full autonomy in the Islands, saying sovereignty doesn’t guarantee economic strength.Continue Reading
