It was the summer of ’98 and I was a new student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.Within the beautiful campus of green trees and vintage buildings, the Sarratt Student Center stood. The center was named after one of the mathematicians and professors of the university, Charles Madison Sarratt. The story goes that Sarratt once…
I am often asked – sometimes asked, at least once – how I manage to stay so fit and healthy. I’m in my mid-60s and can still keep up with the teenage schoolkids I teach. It’s easy to say, “I cycle everywhere,” but anyone can cycle – and most don’t. So, there must be some…
Mwalimu Nyerere, famously quipped, we Tanzanians are not tribalistic.Nyerere insisted, we mostly tease each other. Waitu, Chaggas and Parees? We are traditional wataanis. And tonight I am with my Pare maternal bibi, visiting London. From afar, Jeff Msangi’s demeanour and spectacles are of a typical nerd. Nerds tend to be sharp, zealous, smart, knowledgeable. Up…
Our three-month stint in 1973 at the Buhemba National Service Camp in Mara Region had come to an end and we were now being transferred to the Oljoro National Service Camp in Arusha for a further three months of paramilitary training. We boarded buses for the journey and were naturally excited, as we would be…
The landscape is made up of savannah grassland, tufted grass ridges, river valleys and swamps. A large river serves as the primary source of water for the resident animals. During the dry season, small grooves in the river bed become vital gathering point for large herds of elephants, waterbucks and numerous giraffes. As we peacefully…
The EAC is in deep trouble – and it’s not just about the money. The regional bloc, once full of promise, has now been forced to borrow from its own institutions just to stay afloat. Up to $656,000 is being gathered from bodies like the East African Health Research Commission and the Inter-University Council for…
Years ago in Dar es Salaam, I accompanied a delegation from Namibia and Zimbabwe to the site where the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO) office once stood – established during its armed struggle for independence. Most of the buildings had been demolished and replaced by a parking lot. One of the Namibians had spent…
Anxiety is a normal response to life’s challenges, but when it becomes overwhelming, constant or interferes with daily life, it may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. In today’s fast-paced world, many people find themselves juggling work, family, finances and personal responsibilities – all of which can contribute to increasing levels of stress and…
It is by sheer gift of life – and all glory to God – that we are witnessing living history.The SGR train journey from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma marks a profound revolution in Tanzania’s more than one hundred years of railway transportation. A journey that once took up to 12 hours has now been…
Today, I wish to digress from my usual discourse on economic and developmental matters. This time, my focus is on a certain social malaise that has reached unmanageable proportions in most urban areas: The boda boda (motorcycle) menace. “A rat that is seen during the day is chasing what will burn the granary at night”…
