The Government Chief Spokesperson and Director of Tanzania Information Services, Mr Thobias Makoba, on Thursday called on citizens to embrace the national Uhuru torch, saying it stands as a testament to the country’s sovereignty and independence. He said the Uhuru Torch brings people together and it is a symbol that is rooted in the nation’s values of independence, unity and solidarity. “The Uhuru Torch represents independence, unity, love and solidarity. It is a living reminder that we are free and united as Tanzanians,” Mr Makoba said during a press conference in Dodoma, ahead of the climax of the Uhuru torch race on Monday. He highlighted that the Uhuru Torch race continues to unite citizens and drive various development projects across the country. Since the race began in April, approximately 1,501 projects worth 10.8tril/- have been inspected across 180 district councils, reflecting the benefits of independence and improvements in citizens’ livelihoods....

Mtwara — Cashew nut growers in Tandahimba and Newala have expressed their excitement following the surge of cashew nut prices to 4,120/- per kilogramme this year, a notable increase compared to prices offered in previous years. They said the price is encouraging and that they expect to earn enough in this season. Last season, prices ranged between 1,500/- and 2,190/- per kilogramme. “This is the first time prices have increased to such record high. We welcome this development as the auctions continue,” said Sharifu Linjenje, a cashew grower from Newala District in the Mtwara Region. The price of raw cashews reached a historic high during the auction of 3,857 tonnes traded through the Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX) online platform. The cashews were sold at prices ranging from 4,035/-to 4,120/- per kilogramme during the first auction of the 2024/2025 season held on October 11, this year in Newala District. Ms Rukia...

DAR ES SALAAM: A BIG turnout was witnessed during the first edition of the Tanzania Education Network (TenMet) Marathon held at Farasi grounds in OysterBay Dar es Salaam on Friday. The marathon was arranged to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) which falls on October 11th annually. It did not only serve as a platform for people to engage in physical exercises but also a rallying point to raise awareness about re-entry policy of allowing girls return to school after dropping out due to various reasons like pregnancy. The event was organised free of charge with runners partaking in 10 km and 5 km races which was option to them depending on the category that one was interested to engage. Chausiku Shabaabi scooped the first place in the 5 km race for women whereas Kuruthum Kasenya and Mariam Yahaya grabbed second and third slots apiece. In the...

IT has been a quarter of a century since the passing of the Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. He remains a towering figure in Tanzania, Africa and globally due to his unwavering pursuit of justice, peace and development for Tanzanians, Africans and people in other parts of the world through his activism, speeches and the country’s involvement in several unions and groups. He fought vigorously against colonialism and for African unity. Mwalimu Nyerere, born on 13 April 1922, passed away on 14 October 1999. He was a Tanzanian anti-colonial activist, politician and political theorist. He governed Tanganyika as Prime Minister from 1961 to 1962 and then as President from 1962 to 1964. He later led Tanzania as President from 1964 to 1985. He was a founding member and chair of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) party and its successor, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) from 1954 to 1990....

Legal Services Facility (LSF), in collaboration with North-South Cooperation from Luxembourg, has concluded a two-year project called ‘Wanawake Tunaweza,‘ which has empowered women and girls from the Maasai community in Longido District, Arusha Region. Launched in 2022, the project aimed at improving the social and economic status of women and girls by building their capacity through 11 women’s groups. These groups established various entrepreneurial ventures such as livestock, farming, cereal trading, Maasai beadwork, horticulture and VICOBA activities. The women also formed a joint group, ‘Osiligi’ and were provided with 11 sewing machines to produce reusable sanitary pads, improving the learning environment for girls at Lekule and Namanga schools, the main beneficiaries. The project also constructed new dormitories, benefiting over 1,214 girls and promoted gender equality and girls’ rights. A total of 209 women gained entrepreneurship skills, while 2,500 people, including men and women from Longido, were reached with educational campaigns...

The government, through the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), aims to increase integrated financial services access to 80 per cent of citizens by 2028. Currently, Tanzania’s banking sector penetration is low, with less than 40 per cent of the adult population holding an account at a bank or financial institution, indicating significant room for expansion. During the launch of Access Bank Tanzania, BoT Deputy Governor, Ms Sauda Kassim Msemo reported that financial services have reached only 76 per cent of the population, while banking services cover just 22 per cent. As of January, only 23.3 per cent of people aged 15 and older had an account at a financial institution, the same as the previous year. The peak penetration rate for bank accounts was recorded at 46.8 per cent in 2021. As of December, 2020, Tanzania had 53 registered and licensed banks and non-bank financial institutions. Ms Sauda emphasized that financial...

TANZANIA: The Rural Energy Agency (REA) has boosted its funding for the rural filling stations project, increasing the loan amount from 75m/- to 133m/- within just a year of launching the initiative. This enhancement aims to support business owners in constructing essential fuel facilities in rural areas. REA unveiled the new guidelines yesterday that include significant changes, notably increasing the fuel tank capacities from 4,500-5,000 litres to 10,000-15,000 litres. This enhancement will allow business owners to expand the area for building filling stations from 400 square metres to 924 square metres, significantly increasing their capacity to store fuel. The REA’s Senior Engineer, Eng. Deusidet Malulu, explained that the loan operates as a cost-sharing initiative, allowing applicants to apply for a portion of the funding and cover the remaining costs for constructing the filling station themselves. “We decided to increase the fund because fuel agents cannot effectively distribute fuel to villages...

Political parties in the country have been urged to prioritise citizens’ agendas and address their challenges as the country approaches the local government and general election. The National Coordinator for the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC), Mr. Onesmo Olengurumwa, made the plea recently during an event where he handed over the 2024/25 election manifesto for civil society organisations to Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) on behalf of the coalition. “What we emphasise as civil society is that political parties should approach the elections with a focus on the citizens’ agendas. They should not enter elections to promote their own agendas but should concentrate on what the citizens need. They should address the challenges people face and once they assume leadership positions, whether at the local government or higher levels, they should work to resolve those challenges,” said Mr. Olengurumwa. He noted that this is the third time they...

Significant milestone in the health sector has been achieved as Kairuki Hospital introduces High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of prostate conditions and prostate cancer. HIFU is a non-invasive medical procedure that utilises ultrasound waves to treat both benign and malignant tumours. Dr Julieth Kajugusi, a radiologist at Kairuki Hospital, explained that while surgeries have traditionally been the primary treatment for prostate issues, the newly installed HIFU machine allows for effective treatment without the need for invasive procedures. “This machine can completely treat prostate tumours and prostate cancer in stages one and two, provided it hasn’t spread to other parts of the body,” Dr Kajugusi stated. Patients with prostate tumours undergo ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before being treated with HIFU. “For prostate tumours, HIFU has a 100 per cent success rate, although some patients may not be suitable for treatment if there is too much fat between...

The public has been challenged to engage in capital market and bond investments as part of efforts to increase community involvement in investment matters. Currently, the number of Tanzanians participating in this sector is only 600,000 out of a population of 62 million, indicating that additional efforts are needed to increase inclusivity. The Central Securities Depositories and Registry Company Limited (CSDR) CEO, Mr Benito Kyando, highlighted that one of the challenges behind the low participation rate is the lack of education on investment in capital markets and bonds, despite various efforts made by the government and private companies. “There is still a large number of people who are unaware of investment opportunities in stock and capital markets. Therefore, it is essential to emphasize education on this matter so that more Tanzanians can understand and invest,” said Mr Kyando yesterday at the CSDR Annual Forum. The forum, dubbed ‘The Voice of...