A Kenyan high court has ruled that a government directive to collect data on HIV-positive schoolchildren and pregnant women is unconstitutional.
Campaigners said the collection of the data could lead to further stigmatisation of those with HIV
It said the move violated the rights and privacy of those living with HIV.
Last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta had ordered that the names of HIV-positive children, their guardians and their addresses to be listed to help with the provision of health services.
But activists said the data could lead to further stigmatisation.
According to the UNAids, more than 1.5 million people are living with HIV in Kenya, including 98,000 children aged 14 and under.
The case was brought by a group of lawyers representing a Nairobi-based home for the destitute, who feared that the process used in collecting the data could push back the fight against stigmatisation.
Patricia Asero Ochieng, who is HIV positive, says the ruling will protect those with the virus from stigmatisation
The process would have directly linked a person's name to their HIV status, the group argued.
Activist and lawyer, Allan Maleche, hailed the judgement as a victory for the privacy of people living with HIV.
Patricia Asero Ochieng, who is HIV positive, said stigma was "still alive in society" the ruling would protect those with the virus from further stigmatisation.
The BBC's Ferdinand Omondi in the capital, Nairobi, says officials from education and health ministries have been gathering the information to produce a central report.
The court ordered the ministries to remove all the names gathered so far from their records.
It was not clear how much data has been collected across Kenya's 47 counties.
NEW revelations have emerged over the reason behind Dangote Cement Factory’s production suspension, with the investor’s Country Representative, Ms Esther Baruti, citing sabotage by some politicians and businesspeople. Ms Baruti’s latest remarks have sharply contrasted the widely circulated reports that the factory ceased the cement production due to high costs.
At different occasions this week, she spoke to different local media stations, maintaining that, “There is no conflict pitting the government against Dangote. There are only people with wicked interest plotting to ensure that the factory relocates from Mtwara.”
According to Ms Baruti, billionaire Aliko Dangote is being ‘confused’ by middlemen who are everywhere and bent to do anything within their reach to frustrate the investment.
She further revealed that Mr Dangote had political and business enemies who were working hard to hamper his business initiatives or projects.
Ms Baruti, who coordinated the initial plans of the project, complained further that saboteurs were non-residents of Mtwara region, adding: “...from the information I have, the law enforcers have already embarked on the search for those inciting residents in the country.
” Since the factory started production, said the Country Representative, people have been stealing its raw materials in a mission to impede operations. She said politicians, businesspeople and neighbouring countries were behind the sabotage campaign.
“I am the one who know many internal things of the investment and I cannot remain silent while bad things are said about and happening to the factory,” she stressed, adding that the industry management was more conversant and capable of handling the technical problems facing the industry.
Ms Baruti recalled how she spearheaded the initial meeting on the establishment of the factory between former President Jakaya Kikwete and Nigerian billionaire Dangote who expressed interest to invest in the country’s cement sector.
After the talks, former president Jakaya Kikwete directed Ms Baruti to convene another meeting between Dangote and the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), to enable the two parties to discuss the price of gas to be pumped into the factory for power generation.
Mr Dangote concluded the talks with TPDC, agreeing with the public utility to consult with the Energy and Water Utility Regulatory Authority (EWURA) over the gas price for Dangote industry. Recently, the TPDC noted that EWURA were expected to announce the prices of natural gas in January.
But, Ms Baruti was upbeat that the government would consider Mr Dangote’s plea of reducing the price of natural gas sold to the Mtwara cement manufacturer as per the promises given during the initial steps of setting the investment.
TANZANIA may in the next 15 years experience acute shortage of red and white meet as well as milk, the Tanzania Livestock Master Plan (LMP) has warned.
LMP has therefore, in its assessment of the country’s demand for the main livestock products in the next 15 years suggested strategic measures to increase the sector’s production.
The assessment indicates that there will be a shortage of about 1.7 million tonnes of red meat, an equivalent of 33 per cent of the demand while the shortage of white meat is estimated at about 234,000, which is 47 per cent of the demand.
Milk scarcity is forecast at 5,870,000 tonnes, 38 per cent. A Senior Economist from the Department of Policy and Planning of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Steven Dalali said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the plan focuses on improving production in the livestock sector to contribute to household and country’s income.
Mr Dalali said the government has created enabling environment by devising the strategies to avert the meat scarcity.
He said there will be proper management of statistics collection that will point out areas of investment to reduce poverty and boost development. “In the plan assessment, there is a proposal in the area of policy and technology for the next 15 years and the need for livestock products to help the country attains its ambitious plan of becoming a middle income economy,’’ he stressed.
On the scarcity of red meat, Mr Dalali said the main challenge remains on getting land for livestock keeping due to chronic disputes between farmers and pastoralists in the country.
“The conflicts pitting pastoralists against farmers have so far been derailing production ... our plan therefore is to revamp the sector and bring positive changes as well as reduce poverty through increased food security,’’ said Mr Dalali.
Tanzania Association of Pastoralists Secretary General, Magembe Makoye appreciated the plan as a positive move, giving proper direction for pastoralists in the next fifteen years. However, he decried land availability as the critical challenge impeding production among pastoralist.
CHINESE Ambassador to Tanzania, Dr Lu Youqing, has advised the government to put in line ‘provincial autonomy and competition’ among local government leaders if they are to push economic and social development in the country.
Dr Youqing made the statement on Tuesday evening during a follow-up seminar on Local Economic development for District Commissioners (DCs) in Tanzania, who had just arrived from China where they gone for a workshop aimed at promoting the traditional friendship between China and Tanzania as a country.
The Ambassador said that the competition is a healthy factor amongst others that had seen his country achieve various success in economic development, adding that: “If applied in Tanzania the country will record successful economic and social developments.
” The Minister of State in the President’s Office - Public Service Management and Good Governance Ms Angella Kairuki welcomed the suggestion as a vital move and promised to implement it.
Meanwhile, Ms Kairuki urged the DCs who attended the seminar in China to make use of the knowledge and skills they acquired there by exploiting potential opportunities in the country.
THE amount of charcoal consumed by cooking stoves in urban centres and in rural areas in this country has climbed to an alarming level.
Every day thousands of mature trees are felled and burned to make charcoal which is often shunted in lorries to urban centres. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has seen this wanton felling of trees, a situation that is likely to turn many locations in this country into deserts.
The premier has called for urgent measures to redress the situation. He says other means should be employed in heating. He has called on government institutions that use firewood and charcoal, notably schools, military camps and others, to use other heating methods including using gas or kerosene.
In urban centres charcoal is used in heating by 90 per cent, a destructive scenario, indeed. In villages nearly all heating is done by using firewood.
This trend has persisted for many years causing the country to lose 370,00 hectares of vegetation, mainly mature trees, every year. Well, vegetation must be given chance to recover. Loggers are other culprits who fell trees with complete abandon.
A few months ago Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa called for the formation of an agency that will monitor closely the harvesting and selling of forest products countrywide. He wants all forest products to be sold in competitive bidding arrangements.
The upshot here is to ensure that the government earns its fair share of the revenue generated from the sales of forest products.
This initiative stems from the stark reality that random harvesting of forest products has largely remained in greedy hands for too long.
Consequently, the state has moved in and slapped a complete ban on the practice. The envisaged forestry agency will maintain tight control of forest product sales and, indeed, ensure that government revenue collection increases.
The canker in this respect is the disgusting fact that while the nation’s forest reserves appear to be vanishing, not much revenue is credited to government accounts. Much of the money is siphoned off by dishonest government officials and their cronies.
The main culprits, who must be stopped in their tracks, are forestry officials in the central government as well as district councils. It is this lopsided arrangement that offers loopholes to greedy officials who are notorious for pocket state revenue.
Indeed, Tanzania has a rich forest cover. Nearly all regions have natural forests that must be protected come what may. It is high time President John Joseph Magufuli’s administration took notice.
MORE than 60 per cent of factories that were vibrant in Arusha after Independence, have all closed down, with the buildings that used to house them being converted into religious premises, Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa was told on Saturday.
The Mayor for Arusha City, Mr Kalisti Lazaro expressed his displeasure regarding the high rate of unemployment among the youth during the public rally which was addressed by the Premier at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium yesterday evening.
“All our factories are dead, many have been turned into churches, others have been neglected,” he said. It was also observed that the existing factories of Arusha are doing very little to support employment among local residents.
Arusha City has 500,000 residents while the entire Region is home to 1.8 million people. On their part, Special Seat Members of Parliament Catherine Magige (of Chama Cha Mapinduzi - CCM) and Cecilia Pareso (from CHADEMA), accused the City Council and Regional authorities here for failing to protect open spaces that have all been dubiously sold to investors.
VICE-PRESIDENT Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan has said that plans were underway to review tax legislations in the country in order to reduce the multiple taxes and levies imposed on traders.
In line with that, Ms Hassan expressed the need for government and private sector leaders to shun talking too much and instead embark on full work in order to achieve better production that would help transform the country’s development.
The VP made the revelation in Dar es Salaam yesterday when addressing stakeholders at a Consultative Meeting on Development of Food Processing Industrial Parks organised by Tanzania Food Processing Association of Women Entrepreneurs (TAFOPA).
“The government is working to review the tax legislations in order to eliminate the numerous levies and taxes imposed on business people especially small-scale traders in the informal sector as efforts towards improving the business environment,” she said. She added that the move would also ensure smooth taxation and levy collection from the traders.
Ms Suluhu said the numerous taxes and levies imposed on businesses people have been a nuisance to the majority of Tanzanians. She said the government is committed to ensuring that the problem is solved.
In another development, the VP said the government is working to ensure that financial institutions and banks in general lower the interest rates charged on loans to allow business people including women entrepreneurs to acquire the loans easily.
“The government is aware of the problem (high loan rates) and has tasked our Bank (Bank of Tanzania) to work on it and come up with a solution that would ensure the financial institutions provide friendlier rates to business people,” she said.
She also pointed out the need for the government to ensure microfinances also offer low rates to business people. “The rates offered by Micro- finances are also very high…we (government) will take charge of the mirco-finances and ensure the rates are lowered for business people to acquire financial support,” she noted.
In another development, the VP condemned Tanzanians for engaging themselves in too much talking instead of working, a move that she said was the main reason as why the country fails in development. She noted that the fifth phase government has aspired to work much harder and acquire better results.
Commenting on the food processing industrial park, Ms Suluhu said that the government has directed local and regional government authorities to set aside the industrial parks for business people and investors to start developing their businesses.
The Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment, Mr Charles Mwijage, assured TAFOPA and other traders of government commitment to ensure full support to business people.
THE Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam is expected today to resolve the controversy surrounding the burial of the late Ernest Materego, who died in the city more than two weeks ago.
Principal Resident Magistrate Thomas Simba will give his judgment on the matter following a dispute over a place to conduct the burial after going through the evidence given by the parties.
There is a disagreement among relatives as to the place where the deceased’s body should be laid to rest -- between Dar es Salaam and Bunda in Mara Region.The children of the deceased, Joyce Materego and Edwin Materego, the plaintiffs in the matter, and a young brother of the deceased, Gonche Materego, who is a defendant, are locking horns in the matter.
Already, the court has issued a temporary injunction, restraining the deceased’s body from being buried until the dispute is heard and resolved.
However, such order has come at a time when the deceased’s body has already been transported to Bunda for burial. The magistrate has directed that no burial should be conducted until the controversy is resolved. He ordered the concerned parties to preserve the body at a nearby hospital pending final determination of the pending dispute.
During hearing of the matter, which was conducted within two days last week, that is Thursday and Friday, 12 witnesses from both sides gave their testimony to defend their sides. Four witnesses, led by advocate Raymond Wawa, testified for the plaintiffs, while the remaining eight witnesses gave evidence for the defendant, who is represented by Counsel Makaki Masatu.
The plaintiffs are seeking orders to allow them to conduct the burial of the deceased in Dar es Salaam because the later had spent the rest of his life in the city since 1974.
On the other hand, the defendant claims that his brother also lived and originates in Bunda and, according to their customs, he is supposed to be buried there and not in Dar es Salaam as proposed.
POLICE in Biharamulo District are investigating an incident where a 60-year old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree branch using a sisal rope.
Kagera Regional Police Commander (RPC), Augustine Ollomi, named the deceased as William Bizilege, a resident of Bisibo Village in Biharamulo District.
He said two weeks ago, Bizilege went into hiding after killing his wife, identified as Ethonia William (36). “The suspect went into hiding and police were looking for him,” RPC Ollomi said, attributing the killing to jealousy.
Meanwhile, a resident of Kabwoba Village in Misenyi District on Tuesday appeared before the Bukoba Resident magistrate’s court charged with raping and impregnating his daughter, a Form Two student.
Prosecuting, State Attorney Emmanuel Mavere, told Bukoba Resident Magistrate, Samwel Maweda, that the accused who was identified as Mustapha Mugaiga (45), committed the offence sometime in June this year.
He alleged that the Form Two student (name withheld) of Kabwoba Secondary School in Misenyi District, has since been interdicted.
The accused pleaded “not guilty” to the charge.
State Attorney Mavere asked the court not to grant bail to the accused, because members of the community were angry and threatened to harm the accused if he returned to the village. Magistrate Maweda ordered the accused to be remanded in custody. He adjourned the case until December 5, this year.
THE new fire and rescue facility under construction at the Abeid Aman Karume International Airport (AAKIA) is nearing completion, it was revealed here yesterday.
President Ali Mohamed Shein was informed here yesterday when he visited the area. “We are on track with about 92 per cent of the work finished.
Soon the project would be completed,” the airport’s Chairman of the Board, Abdulghani Himid Msoma told President Ali Mohamed Shein who toured the project. He said that 310m/- out of 335m/- have been spent on the project and that engineers worked hard to meet the deadline.
The Commissioner of Fire and Rescue Department, Ali Abdalla Malimosi, joined the minister responsible for special department, Haji Omar Kheri, to promise good quality work done by the local contractors.
Construction of the building which had stalled for quite follows Dr Shein’s order to have the building completed within two months from October 4 this year. The President said having an unfinished structure at the airport was tarnishing its image to the outside world.
“I commend the administration and the engineers for responding well to my order, I thank you all,” Dr Shein said. AAKIA has been undergoing improvement, including expansion by building Terminal II.
THE government will take the views of the private sector in deliberation of its position on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and the East African Community (EAC), a cabinet minister has said.
Industry, Trade and Investments Minister Charles Mwijage told members of the private sector at the CEO Roundtable gala dinner in Dar es Salaam on Saturday that the government would take on board their views in reaching a position on the protracted negotiations of the trade deal with the EU.
“You will be invited when we deliberate on the government position on EPAs,” the minister told a number of heads of businesses at the 8th Annual gala dinner, which is a policy dialogue forum and a platform for captains of industry to engage with the government on the issues affecting the business environment in the country.
He said although the government did not consult them when it decided not to sign the trade deal, it had their interests at heart to make sure the local businesses were protected from any deal that may have negative impacts on them.
Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) postponed EPA with the EU when they met in Dar es Salaam in September and demanded more time to assess the impact of the agreements before the actual signing takes place.
Kenya and Rwanda signed the trade deal with EU in August on fears that they may lose access to European markets when their shipments to the EU market would have started attracting duty after the October 1 deadline.
However, the deal needs approval from all members of the East African Community bloc -- which also includes Burundi and Uganda -- to take effect. The EU granted Kenya a four-month reprieve to ratify the agreement saying it demonstrated commitment to the trade pact.
The EU parliament extended the deadline to withdraw Kenya’s preferential market access to the EU market to February 2, 2017. Kenya stands to lose the most without the deal signed, as other member states -- including Tanzania, Burundi, and Uganda -- would still continue getting duty- and quota-free access under EU’s Everything But Arms initiative since they are classified as Least Developed Countries.
The EU is Kenya’s biggest export destination, taking up cut flowers, French beans, fruit, fish, textiles, coffee and tea. Members of Parliament unanimously called on the government not to sign the trade deal due to potential negative implications for the country’s industrialisation strategy if the deal is inked in its current form.
The parliamentary vote was preceded by an information session during which three scholars of the University of Dar es Salaam – Palamagamba Kabudi, Ng’waza Kamatta, and John Jingu – cautioned that the pact would be detrimental to the country’s economy.
The scholars had been tasked by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to assess the implications of the EPA. MPs from both the ruling party and the opposition parties called on the Tanzanian government to renegotiate the EPA on terms that would allow for better protection of domestic industries.
A few parliamentarians also expressed concerns that rejecting the deal could have a negative impact on aid flows and development cooperation between the EU and EAC countries.
The EU Head of Delegation to Tanzania, Mr Roeland Van Geer, recently told the ‘Daily News’ that the union had no intention to impose sanctions on Tanzania to press the East African nation into ratifying the widely criticised trade deal.
Under the terms of the EPA, the EU will liberalise its market for EAC goods by 100 per cent while EAC member states will liberalise their market by 82.6 per cent on a progressive basis over period of 25 years after signature.
THE Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, has directed District Executive Directors (DEDs) countrywide to embark on the construction of district hospitals in their respective areas to check overcrowdings of patients currently faced at major referral hospitals.
The Premier made the directive at the Mount Meru Regional Hospital here yesterday during his ongoing tour of the region, stressing that it was high time congestions at referral and other hospitals was addressed.
In another development, Mr Majaliwa has instructed Arusha Regional Medical Officer (RMO), Dr Frida Mokiti, to make changes of management at Levolosi Health Centre, following complaints from patients on poor services at the health facility, particularly to expectant mothers.
“We don’t need health practitioners who are nuisance to patients; RMO make sure you address complaints raised by patients at Levolosi Health Centre. “I also direct you to make improvements of facilities at Mount Meru Hospital; this should include toilets in the maternity ward and an area for washing eating utensils,” he instructed.
During an earlier visit at Levolosi, the PM was told by a patient who identified herself as Glory Paul, a resident of Olasiti here that her baby died in the womb due to poor services she received from health practitioners at the facility.
“When I was attending clinic doctors told me I would have to undergo surgery when giving birth and when the time for delivery came I informed nurses of the same but they refused and insisted that I undergo the normal procedure.
“As they were subjecting me to normal procedure they later informed me that the baby had died in the womb and that they would have to operate me to remove the foetus to save my life,” she lamented.
The Executive Director of Arusha, Mr Athumani Kihamia, informed the PM that he had previously taken disciplinary actions against practitioners at the facility and vowed to take further action.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has resigned after suffering a heavy defeat in a referendum over his plan to reform the constitution.
In a late-night news conference, he said he took responsibility for the outcome, and said the No camp must now make clear proposals.
With most ballots counted, the No vote leads with 60% against 40% for Yes.
The turnout was nearly 70%, in a vote that was seen as a chance to register discontent with the prime minister.
"Good luck to us all," Mr Renzi told reporters. He said he would tell a Cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon that he was resigning, then tender his resignation to the Italian president.
EU leaders won't have slept much on Sunday night. Angst about Italy makes an uncomfortable bedfellow and there's plenty for them to worry about. Particularly in Brussels. Prime Minister Renzi was the only premier left in Europe with a vision for the EU's future. Angela Merkel is too busy crisis-managing while much of France is in thrall to Front National eurosceptics.
But Matteo Renzi is no more. The self-styled reformer with his promise to stabilise politics and kick-start the Italian economy has managed quite the reverse.
Italy wakes up on Monday to the threat of a banking crisis, political turmoil, and a group of anti-establishment populists banging on the doors of government. Eurozone beware and EU be warned. Italy is the euro currency's third largest economy and it's in for a bumpy ride. And there are more unpredictable votes to come in 2017: in France, Germany, the Netherlands and perhaps here in Italy too.
Why did he lose?
Matteo Renzi staked his political future on his attempt to change Italy's cumbersome political system. He wanted to strengthen central government and weaken the Senate, the upper house of parliament.
His opponents - including some within his own party - had argued that the reforms would give the prime minister too much power. The electorate agreed.
But the referendum was more than a vote on constitutional reform, it was widely regarded as a chance to reject establishment politics.
It was a resounding victory for the No camp, a medley of populist parties headed by the Five Star Movement, which capitalised on Mr Renzi's declining popularity, years of economic stagnation, and the problems caused by tens of thousands of migrants arriving in Italy from Africa.
Has this strengthened anti-establishment parties?
The No vote's victory was even bigger than the last opinion poll in November had predicted.
The Five Star Movement says it is getting ready to govern Italy now that Mr Renzi is resigning. Its leader Beppe Grillo called for an election to be called "within a week".
"Starting tomorrow we'll be at work on a Five Star government," said Luigi Di Maio, a rising star in the party.
Another opposition leader Matteo Salvini, of the anti-immigrant Northern League, called the referendum a "victory of the people against the strong powers of three-quarters of the world".
What will happen next?
Mr Renzi will hand in his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella later on Monday, following a final meeting with his cabinet.
The president may ask him to stay on at least until parliament has passed a budget bill due later this month.
In spite of the pressure from the opposition, early elections are thought to be unlikely.
Instead, the president may appoint a caretaker administration led by Mr Renzi's Democratic Party, which would carry on until an election due in the spring of 2018.
Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan is the favourite to succeed Mr Renzi as prime minister.
How will this go down elsewhere in Europe?
So far, there has been little reaction from mainstream politicians.
The Governor of the Bank of France, Francois Villeroy, who is also a policymaker for the European Central Bank, put a brave face on it.
"The referendum in Italy yesterday may be deemed as another source of uncertainty," he said. "However, it cannot be compared to the British referendum: Italian people have been called to the polls to vote on an internal constitutional matter, and not on Italy's long-standing EU membership."
But the leader of far-right Front National in France, Marine Le Pen, tweeted her congratulations to the Northern League.
"The Italians have disavowed the EU and Renzi. We must listen to this thirst for freedom of nations," she said.
What will it do to the economy?
Markets seemed to have taken Mr Renzi's departure in their stride. Stocks and the euro fell in early trading in Asia but there were no signs of panic, as the possibility of his resignation had already been factored in.
But the referendum result could have longer-term implications.
There have been growing concerns over financial stability in the eurozone's third largest economy.
Italy's economy is 12% smaller than when the financial crisis began in 2008.
The banks remain weak and the country's debt-to-GDP ratio, at 133%, is second only to Greece's.
With Mr Renzi gone, and populist parties on the rise, the question is whether Italy can keep a lid on the problems.
Spontaneous celebrations in the streets of Rome, after the referendum defeat and resignation of PM Matteo Renzi
MOZAMBIQUE and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are eying connection to the national Internet Data Centre (IDC) in Dar es Salaam as the two eastern African countries embark on accessing high quality database services.
The new entrants after Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are targeting a high-tech fibre optic network constructed at Kijitonyama suburb of Kinondoni District in the city.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications Professor Faustine Kamuzora said the two countries had expressed interest to be connected to the region’s centre for Information Communication and Technology (ICT).
“We can proudly say we’re the best ICT centre in East Africa,” Professor Kamuzora told a section of journalists from Tanzania -- and China who are in the country to assess performance of Chinese firm investment in Tanzania and Kenya.
The facility financed by China to a tune of 35 million US dollars hosts services from both the government and business sectors. Prof Kamuzora, who is responsible for communications in the ministry, said discussions were also going on regarding the multinational companies’ interest in the service.
Prof Kamuzora assured the delegation that the centre was secure while immediate plans for a data recovery centre in Dodoma and Zanzibar were well underway. “We’re inviting all ICT and IT firms from across the global to get services,” he noted.
Situated few miles from the city centre, the IDC is expected to be independently run.
Speaking during the commissioning of the plant, the Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Professor Makame Mbarawa, said that the initial government plans was to connect Dar es Salaam to the rest of countryside and its neighbouring countries -- Kenya, Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda.
Prof Mbarawa said the facility was designed to facilitate fast communication that will help government office especially in remote areas to be quickly connected to the headquarters.
To make it efficient, Tanzania inked MoU with Chinese based Technology company --Huawei to take over the country’s ICT development advisor.
Tanzania and China hold a deep-rooted friendship, with China having supported Tanzania in various development sectors such as transport, education, agriculture and manufacturing.
ICT experts maintain that Tanzania is still seating on untapped potentials, having not utilised fully the technology to spur development.
FOLLOWING recent directive by President John Magufuli and his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta, the Tanzania and Kenya Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) met yesterday after failing to meet for four years due to various reasons.
The two countries had agreed to hold strategic important bilateral meetings every two years.
But for the last four years, the two East Africa’s countries failed two meet on what was described as a series of national issues that took a big part of the government’s plan.
Opening the JCC meeting, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Aziz Mlima, said Tanzania was looking forward to boosting cooperation initiatives with Kenya.
“For the last four years, we couldn’t meet following some serious national events, including the constitution writing process and the general elections,’’ Dr Mlima noted.
He said that the government “is ready so to speak and our president met his counterpart in Nairobi and agreed to revive and boost such cooperation,” he said during the third JCC between Kenya and Tanzania.
According to Dr Mlima, the meeting, involving representatives from the ministries of Transport; Home Affairs; Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries; Water and Irrigation; Energy; and Communication will meet and discuss an action plan and propose a new modality to further the existing relations.
He said Tanzania has already held similar sessions with Zambia and Rwanda. Leading the Kenyan delegation, Ambassador Ben Ogutu said Kenya and Tanzania shared warm relations diplomatically, geographically and economically.
“Therefore, there is greater potential for economic and investment cooperation,” he noted. Ambassador Ogutu noted that the two East African Community (EAC) member states boasted of strong cooperation in the area of trade, health, security and agriculture, among other areas. “We have common aspiration and challenges. This calls for review of our bilateral cooperation to boost our relations,” he noted at the fullypacked meeting.
The Director of Africa in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Samwel Shelukindo, said the Third JCC will ultimately strengthen mutual cooperation between Tanzania and Kenya.
“I am confident that we will reach a point where our cooperation will be ben eficial to our people.” President John Magufuli met President Kenyatta in Nairobi recently, where, among other things, they directed their foreign affairs ministers to ensure they meet before the end of this year. Official statistics show there were 529 Kenyan companies with a base in Tanzania where more than 3.6 trillion/- have been invested, creating more than 56,260 jobs. Trade volume between Tanzania-Kenya stands at an average of 1.7 billion US dollars annually.
Meanwhile, Tanzania said yesterday it was well prepared to further its ties with Republic of Korea. Tanzania is Africa’s largest beneficiary of Koreansupported development projects.
Korea has approved 17.1 per cent about 300 million US dollars of its total funding to Africa to support Tanzania in a span of five years from 2016. Briefing reporters in the city, Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Ministry’s Spokesperson Ms Mindi Kasiga said Tanzania was selected among four other African countries to receive Korean concessional financial support.
Other countries are Ethiopia, Angola and Mozambique. “Tanzania will participate in this year’s Korea-Africa forum of ministers to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on December 6 and 7.
Korea is expected to support Tanzania in ICT, industries and energy,” she told reporters. Already, Korea is supporting the construction of Salender Bridge, antenatal services in Dar es Salaam, Kikwete Bridge in Kigoma, Maternal Hospital in Chanika and Mloganzila International hospital in the city.
