Uganda has finally set out to begin work on the Malaba–Kampala Standard Gauge Railway. On paper, it’s just another infrastructure project – 272 kilometres of track at a cost of $1.602 billion.But in reality, it’s much more: It’s a wake-up call to the EAC and a reminder of a promise made over a decade ago…
I recall that it was in 1971 when several young native minds and I, then in Form III at the former Mkwawa High School in Iringa, were being groomed into the modern ways of life and society.To our advantage, we were taught by more than 50 teachers from several countries — including Tanzania, India, the…
If you’re a heavy coffee drinker, you’ve likely encountered conflicting expert opinions—one week it’s said to extend your life, the next it’s blamed for shortening it. In an age overrun with fake news, it’s tempting to believe that science should stand as a pillar of truth. But if research constantly contradicts itself, how seriously can…
When I was growing up our elders would say time and time again: The invited one gets a share. This is because our ancestors believed that peace is paramount in the society but justice must reign supreme before peace can sprout and flourish in that society. In this reflection I shall focus on creating peace…
She always seems to roll down London’s streets. Does not matter what time of day, how and when.“Spare some change please, brotho!”Always calls you brother. You are NOT the only person she throws that type of endearment. Seconds later she approaches two chatting women.“Hello dear sistrers, please spare some change.” The “sistrers” have been caught…
It was a lazy day just before the rains were due to arrive. Sunlight and dust formed a veil that obscured the mountains across the lake in the DRC. Scanning the water, we saw many birds, but I was particularly captivated by a Pied Kingfisher — the star of the morning. Upon our arrival in…
We’ve just come from one of Tanzania’s biggest and most vibrant trade fairs (Karibu Kili Fair 2025). As the husband of an exhibitor, I had a front-row seat to the enormous effort it takes to prepare for such an event—planning, packing, transporting, setting up and presenting your brand in the best possible light. When the…
He cuts my hair, but gives me truth,About his past, his wild youth.He swears he once cut Diamond’s side,Then quotes Mandela with some pride. The scissors snip, the wisdom flows.He talks of love, of heartbreak woes,Of clients rich and fake afros.He trims and gossips, tells who’s real,Then asks if I want “just a feel?” I…
By Kusekwa Kusekwa Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in Longido district has lost a legal battle over ownership of a piece of land it had claimed belonged lawfully to the ruling party and not the property of a resident, Godfrey Lema. The High Court at Arusha declared Lema the rightful owner of the disputed piece of…
Born in Kamirithu, Kenyan supersonic writer Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, passed aged 87 in Georgia, USA. I first read Ngugi’s works while in Form Three (1971) at Ilboru. Back then he was known as James Ngugi. The two novels we did across secondary schools were “The River Between” and “Weep not Child”. I still remember the…
