I am still reflecting on the CAG’s report for 2024/25 that was presented to the President slightly over a fortnight ago. The report highlighted persistent systemic weaknesses in public financial management. This week, I turn to public procurement, given the significant impact it has on the economy. Robert Zoellick, former President of the World Bank,…

Welcome to our weekly Health Diaries column. We trust you had a safe and peaceful Easter holiday, filled with rest, reflection and good health. As we resume our regular discussions, we continue to explore a range of disease-related topics, simplifying complex concepts for our readers. It is common for parents to seek quick relief when…

As I watched Artemis ll lift-off into space on its 10-day journey to the moon and back last week, my memories raced to a conversion I had with a Harvard University professor some years ago. He used to spend six months a year in Tanzania studying the Hadzabe in the bush. I had asked him…

Last June, the US vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza to halt civilian casualties, arguing it was not tied to the release of Israeli hostages. Days later, an animal welfare group in the United Kingdom urged the government to provide mandatory financial support for retired…

We arrived in Mererani around noon and caught sight of a Martial Eagle high in the sky over its preferred territory. Eagles are known to rule the skies, each shaped by evolution for a specific form of dominance. It all happened while we were birdwatching. As we walked along the riverbank, we were fortunate to…

The line moves fast till I commit,Then freezes as if proud of it.Someone cuts in “just to ask,”Suddenly patience is a task. I rehearse speeches, none get used,I smile politely, deeply bruised.Justice lives in private thought,While silence keeps the peace I bought. The clerk leaves briefly, returns slow,As if the queue should somehow grow.Time stretches,…

Roses are so beautiful,Lavish, luxuriousA dreamy fragrance that takes you to a faraway place. How it endures,When it is being rained upon,Its petal tender on the cheeks,Breathing of love and joyHow it unfurls and blossoms in the eventideAs the glimpse of moon radiates its love On graves it bows and weeps, white, pink, red,Petals that…

My Sunday mornings in India as a medical student contained many special moments of discourse with a dear friend of mine, Sanjay (currently an interventional cardiologist in the United States). While most students would either be sleeping in or be recovering from hangovers, my friend and I would meet up early for breakfast and discuss…

Two weeks ago, I spent a night at one of the relatively decent accommodation facilities in the fast-growing township of Makambako, which straddles the Iringa–Mbeya–Zambia highway. The town is also a strategic junction connecting to Njombe and Songea and onward to other southern regions. I had arrived at the facility a few minutes before midnight,…

Issa Michuzi’s reel on Instagram has been disturbing most Tanzanian viewers. Le Bucheron , a 1970 song by Franklin Bokaka wails in the background. Franklin Boukaka was a Congolese musician believed to have been murdered by dictator President Mobutu in 1972, aged 31. Le Bucheron questions the reality of African independence (“Dipanda” in Lingala). In…