Category: Columns

Tanzania is widely regarded as an agricultural country. Over 65% of its population of 67 million depends on farming for their livelihoods and the sector contributes about 25% of GDP. The country has a total land area of 945,000 sq. km, equivalent to 94.5 million hectares, of which 44 million hectares are arable. This makes…

Never sit while your seniors stand is a Native American saying that is the basis of this reflection today. I have always been awed by the wisdom that comes to us from countless cultures and traditions and have always asked myself how richer our human experience would be if we took more time, one saying…

The world is straining under the damaging effects of human behaviour, yet we are quick to blame big business – Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nike and the like. But the uncomfortable truth is that the responsibility lies with us. We are the ones who cannot be bothered to carry a shopping bag to the market. We are…

In today’s fast-paced world of fast food and quick snacks, many people overlook the importance of eating a balanced diet. The good news is that healthy eating does not have to be complicated – it all begins with creating a balanced plate. What is a balanced plate?A balanced plate simply means including the right proportions…

Standing few meters from the water edge we watched a river flows across carrying trees debris and everything on its path. It is just few meters wide nor is it as deep or fast flowing but beneath its water the hungry massive crocs were waiting patiently. This is Grumeti River, overflowing in few weeks as…

East Africa is once again making headlines for all the wrong reasons. A recent report by the African Development Bank (AfDB) shows that the region is leading the continent in procurement fraud in donor-funded projects. Out of 59 complaints that were filed last year, East Africa alone had nearly a third. This may look like…

The rotational nature of top positions in the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat as well as the Organs and Institutions of the Community is now a well-known affair. With an almost religious zeal, countries have come to respect the right of participation of all partner states, big and small. While that is to be commended,…

The other week, I had a chance meeting with a group of agricultural experts from Australia at the sprawling and magnificently manicured gardens of the Hillside Hotel, overlooking the panoramic Ruhuji waterfalls in Njombe town. The Aussies – as people from that part of the world, or Down Under, as it is fondly called, are…

We were at the station waiting for a train. It was sunny and pleasant and quiet, except for her loud voice on the phone. “Is she fighting someone?” One of the mothers with kids asked sarcastically. The lady was loud and what she was saying seemed significant. She was not speaking English. Between 200 to…