BY THE ARUSHA NEWS
Since assuming office, Vice President, Deogratius Ndejembi, has tried to project the image of a down to earth leader and a man who connects with the masses, making light work of the heavy and enormous responsibilities that the office carries.
That portrayal of relaxed mood in the course of duty was perhaps expressed more resoundingly on Monday, September 28, 2026 when the youthful VP strolled freely and casually through the streets of Arusha city on his way to Mount Meru Referral Hospital.
Rather than arrive in an official motorcade, Mr Ndejembi walked leisurely through the streets, greeting and chatting with people, stopping at one point to engage a roadside seller of the popular black coffee and even asked for the price of a cup.
Along the way, the VP observed the general cleanliness and condition of the surroundings before arriving at the hospital on an unannounced visit. There, he then spoke with patients and health workers about service delivery and the challenges facing them.
Earlier, Mr Ndejembi had opened a meeting of board chairpersons and chief executives of public institutions and corporations at Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), where his message was clear: “reduce unnecessary spending and give young people opportunities to build their futures”.
Opening the meeting on behalf of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Ndejembi urged leaders to allocate public resources towards practical training and work experience for young Tanzanians.
He gave the ministries responsible for planning and investment, finance and agriculture two weeks to prepare a training programme. The initiative would target at least 10,000 graduate placements in public institutions, with subsistence support, and at least 20,000 further opportunities in the private sector.
The VP challenged public corporations to drive economic transformation under Tanzania’s Development Vision 2050, improve services and develop sustainable revenue sources. He also directed the Treasury Registrar’s Office to strengthen performance assessments and recognise institutions supporting youth training in the following year’s awards.
