Thursday, October 29, 2015


The National Electoral Commission in Tanzania  (NEC), has declared John Magufuli the winner of Tanzania's general elections after scooping 58.46 percent of votes, defeating his nearest rival, Edward Lowassa from theopposition Chadema party, who obtained 39.97 percent of ballots.
However, Mr Lowassa who came second declined to sign the consent forms following earlier claims of fraud and demands for a recount of the tightly contested election.
Efforts to get comments from the Opposition were proved futile, as the coalition high-ranking officials couldn’t be reached over the phone.
Reliable sources said that the opposition officials were engaged in a meeting and would address the press conference to declare their way forward.
Immediately after the results were announced at around 5oclock east African time  by the chairman of the commission there some reaction from the political divide in the country
According to the Tanzania’s constitution, the results of presidential elections cannot be challenged in any court of law once declared by the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

Mr Magufuli, 56, a cabinet minister in the outgoing government led by retiring President Jakaya Kikwete, received 8.8 million votes against Mr Lowassa’s 6.7 million.
NEC Director, Ramadhan Kailima said Dr Magufuli, would be sworn in tomorrow at 10:00 aA.M east African time as a fifth Tanzania’s President.
His win continues CCM’s grip on power in Tanzania after governing the country since Independence in 1961.
Election observers have called for a speedy resolution of the stalemate in Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous islands that make up the union with Tanzania, where elections were annulled on Wednesday over allegations of fraud.


Reports from different part of the country show that security have been beefed up as tension continue to mount on Chadema strong hold Regions.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015


TENSION is mounting across Tanzania, the East African nation after the results of the country’s most competitive election since independence started trickling in from Monday morning this week.

There are reports of widespread riots and heavy police patrols in the streets of big towns and cities as well as in remote trade centres.

 Although no casualties have been reported, there are fears that the riots would degenerate into violence, leading to injuries and possibly deaths.

The situation worsened on Wednesday afternoon after an official announcement by the authorities on cancellation of the Zanzibar presidential election results and  a statement by the opposition coalition presidential  candidate for Tanzania Edward Lowassa that he would not accept the results being announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) since Monday.

He spoke of massive fraud by NEC officials which  he alleges has denied his coalition some votes in favour of the ruling party CCM presidential candidate Dr. John Pombe Magufuli who is in a narrow lead against Mr. Lowassa for presidential vote figures already released.

Mr. Lowassa, the former prime minister who defected to the opposition in July this year after he was blocked from contesting Tanzania’s presidency on CCM’s ticket, has accused the government for using security officers to raid a vote tallying centre set up by the coalition.

He said volunteers hired by the coalition were still locked up and described the move as intimidation against the opposition now giving a strong challenge to the ruling party following the Sunday’s elections.

Arusha, Mr. Lowassa’s home area and a stronghold for the opposition has been tense for a couple of days and the coalition supporters want the international observers to intervene in the impasse on the elections, especially after the cancellation of the Zanzibar presidential vote tallying.

anzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) officials say they have cancelled the results, specifically the tallying of the presidential votes, on grounds that the process was marred   with irregularities. This, according to observers, could render the elections not free and fair.

As things become more complicated in Tanzania’s polls, Dr. Magufuli was still in the lead ahead of his close rival Mr. Lowassa from Chadema, one of the four parties making up the Ukawa coalition.

 Early results from the parliamentary elections suggested a tight contest between the two parties.

An opposition candidate for Zanzibar presidency Seif Sharrif Hamad  on Monday unilaterally declared himself the winner of the island’s presidential election. Immediately after the announcement, and security agents arrested 191 people during a night raid on the opposition.

Some 23 million Tanzanians were registered to vote and more than half of all voters live in nine major regions of the country, none of which is yet to report fully.
However, Mr Lowassa, who ran under the Ukawa opposition alliance, accused NEC of selectively releasing results from CCM strongholds.

He warned that delays in announcing official results could inflame tensions after the arrests of the party’s tally centre officials.

“All they were doing is collating results from polling stations across the country,” Mr Lowassa said at a press conference on Monday.

“We have been incapacitated, all our tallying centers have been raided and the volunteers incarcerated. This is so unfair.”

The whereabouts of the detainees, reportedly picked up during raids on different facilities in Dar es Salaam between midnight and the wee hours of Tuesday morning, are still unknown.

I also spoke to a law from Tanganyika Law society who explains wether there is a legal complication  to the Union if result have been expelled by ZEC.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Tanzanians are voting in presidential and general elections in what is expected to be the tightest race in the history of east Africa’s most populous country.
Long lines of voters began gathering hours before dawn on Sunday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s biggest city, with centres opening at 7am local time (0400 GMT) and queues moving quickly.
The presidential vote sees John Magufuli, of the long-ruling Revolution party (CCM), the narrow favourite, take on the former prime minister, Edward Lowassa, a CCM stalwart who recently defected to the opposition Democracy and Progress party (Chadema).
Both men have spent the past two months flying across the country, wooing voters and holding rallies attended by thousands of flag-waving supporters.
Analysts have warned that the unusually tight race could lead to tensions, with the opposition providing the first credible challenge to the CCM since the introduction of multiparty democratic elections in 1995.
In one of his final speeches of this campaign, Magufuli said: “I want to lead the country to development and good welfare. Everyone deserves a better life, irrespective of his or her political inclination.”
Many believe Magufuli, the current minister of works, for which he has earned the nickname the bulldozer, will face a tough challenge from Lowassa.
Lowassa was the prime minister from 2005 until his resignation in 2008 over corruption allegations, which he denies. He had been one of the CCM’s strongest supporters for years, but is now calling for an end to the party’s rule.
“This regime has outlived its usefulness,” Lowassa said at his final rally late on Saturday, repeating his calls to “kick CCM out of office, the regime that has failed the nation for all the 54 years it has been in office”.
The outgoing president, Jakaya Kikwete, who is unable to run for a third term in office under the constitution, has ordered the police to improve security to ensure calm.Lowassa, who cast his vote in Ngarash, in the northern Arusha district, said he was confident of winning as he called on people to vote peacefully.
Kikwete made a rare direct attack on Lowassa – a longtime former colleague – at a final rally for the CCM, describing him as “corrupt and greedy” and accusing him of illegally seizing land as lands minister.
Pius Msekwa, a former CCM vice-chairman and the vice-chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam, said: “This is going to be the toughest but most exciting election in the country’s history.”
Polls close at 4pm (1300 GMT) and election officials say they expect the presidential election results within three days.
Goodluck Jonathan, the former Nigerian president and head of a team of Commonwealth election observers, told the candidates: “If you lose, accept defeat.”
Voters are also casting ballots in parliamentary and local polls on Sunday, including on the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, which is also holding presidential elections.
Magufuli and Lowassa have made repeated calls for the preservation of peace and national unity in speeches denouncing tribalism, religious violence and corruption.
On Zanzibar, campaigning has been largely peaceful, but residents have stockpiled food and water, fearful of possible unrest after the polls. Voter Rahma Ahmed said: “I am happy, as the mood of the voting seems good – and the exercise started on time.”
The leading candidates in the Zanzibar election are the current president, Ali Mohamed Shein, of the ruling CCM, and the vice-president, Seif Sharif Hamad, from the opposition Civic United Front (CUF), who are sharing power in a unity government.
After casting his ballot at a primary school in Bungi, about 15 miles (24km) south of Zanzibar City, Shein said: “I am confident of victory, and ready to serve Zanzibaris for the second term.”
SOURCE;the guardian

Thursday, October 15, 2015


DW: Special Coverage of the Elections in Tanzania 

The Kiswahili Service of DW has a special multimedia focus on the General Election in Tanzania during the whole month of October. 

On Saturday 24th  and Sunday 25th  listen to special reports in all three programmes in the morning, midday and evening. A particular roundtable discussion Maoni  with political experts on Saturday Midday. 

On the election day on Sunday live programmes with interviews and correspondents report from all over Tanzania. Also our partner stations will be participating and reporting what is going on in their region. We will keep you informed about  the situation in different parts of the country, the counting of votes with live reports and interviews. 

Listeners can send us comments and eye-witness news, videos and photos via e-mail:         Kiswahili@dw.comSMS                 +49 17 32 91 17 90 Facebook   www.facebook.com/dw.kiswahili WhatsApp:  http://bit.ly/1U3Wobl
During afternoon and evening transmission on Sunday these messages will be read live in the radio programme. 
Follow on Sunday 25th our live blog on Facebook www.facebook.com/dw.kiswahili 
Visit our special website: Uchaguzi wa Tanzania 2015 already now  http://www.dw.com/sw/idhaa-ya-kiswahili/uchaguzi-mkuu-wa-tanzania-2015/s-101616


Monday, September 21, 2015


Mount Meru, Tanzania’s second highest peak  is under devastation by a raging  bush  fire that started  on Sunday  leaving hundreds of  kilometers of forest burnt to ashes.   

The thick range of forest, covering the entire windward slopes of the glacier-free mountain were being licked by flames of bush fires reported to have erupted tree days ago on smaller scale and grew into uncontrollable bowls of fire.
By the time we went to press this week it was still not clear how far the situation has been brought under control.


Teams from the Tanzania National Parks authority, the Meru forestry department and various residents in the lush vicinity had been working around the clock to contain the flames but so far little success is being achieved.
more details coming

Friday, September 18, 2015


Dr.Richard Sezibera EAC GENERAL SECRETARY


The Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera has urged the media fraternity in Tanzania to build peace and social consensus as the country prepares for the forthcoming General Elections slated for October 2015.

The Secretary General, who was on Wednesday 16 September participating in a two-day Tanzania Media Peace Forum 2015 convened by the Media Owners Association of Tanzania (MOAT), Trinity Group East Africa, and the EAC Secretariat at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, said during the electioneering period, the media in Tanzania is expected to build peace, social consensus and cohesion, without which democracy is threatened.

Amb. Sezibera, who was represented by his Head of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Department, Mr. Owora Richard Othieno, said “it will be unfortunate if the media in Tanzania take the path of fanning flames of discord by taking sides, reinforcing prejudices, muddling the facts and peddling half-truths during the electioneering period”.


He urged the media to shape public opinion responsibly and not to be influenced and manipulated by different interest groups in the society. 


“You are expected to promote democracy by among other things, educating voters, protecting human rights, promoting tolerance among various social groups, and ensuring that the government is transparent and accountable. 

Please don’t sow fear, division and violence which will lead to democratic decay”, asserted the EAC official.

In his keynote address, Dr. Reginald A. Mengi, the Executive Chairman of IPP Limited and Chair of Media Owners Association of Tanzania (MOAT), commended the EAC Secretariat and the Trinity Group East Africa for bringing together the representatives of various political shades, religious organizations, international organizations, media owners, media practitioners and stakeholders to appreciate their various critical roles in deepening democracy in Tanzania.


Dr. Mengi reiterated that for a long time Tanzania had been a haven of peace, a situation, which has given the country international applause and that, the peace is a huge national asset and guarantees the country’s unity and national security.


“if we create and breed social instability, our existing peaceful co-existence will vanish at a great loss to all Tanzanians and the nation, and it will be very hard to re-organize and restore it” noted the MOAT Chair.


The Chair cautioned the media on reporting what candidates and their campaigners say while looking for votes. 


“Newsrooms, online portals, radio and television producers, should report stories and developments that aim to promote peace and national unity”.

A representative of the Head of the European Union Delegation in Tanzania, Mr. Fabio Di Stefano said the role of the media during elections cannot be under estimated and that development partners were ready to accompany the Tanzanian people during the general elections.


Rev. Canon Thomas Godda, the Executive Director of the Inter-Religious Council for Peace Tanzania and Mr. Tom Ndahiro, former Head of Department of Civil and Political Rights in the Rwanda National Human Rights Commission shared their views on the role of the media in democracy and peace building.




Friday, August 21, 2015

 






The Lutheran Church has warned against excessive use of force by the government security agencies in the coming polls,saying this could lead to unnecessary chaos.

The second largest church group in the country after the Roman Catholic also want the election results to be announced immediately after the counting as any delay may give room for rigging or perception that the results had been altered or votes stolen.

"People will lose their faith when excessive force is used against them by the police and other security agencies during the entire election process" said a terse statement issued by the General Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT from its headquarters in Arusha.

The church strongly urged the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to ensure that there was a conducive environment for vote counting "in a transparent manner" at each polling station on the voting day.
"The results should be posted on the noticeboard for everybody to see. Those defeated should realize they have lost in the open" the church leaders stressed, warning that unnecessary delays in announcing the results could result in voters getting impatient and lead to chaos which can be easily avoided.
The influential General Assembly of the church, which is made of bishops from all the 24 dioceses across the country and other senior officials, insisted that the bone of contention during elections had always been during the counting of votes.
"The exercise should be conducted immediately after ballot casting at the polling stations as NEC rules say. Shifting this to another location and delay announcing the results would lead to concerns of possible rigging", the church stressed in a position paper on the polls availed to  the media  in Arusha.

Politicians spearheading the campaigns, scheduled to commence this weekend, as well as aspirants of various political positions contested were cautioned to avoid using obscene or abusive language which would expose expose their competitors, individuals or other groups to ridicule based on religion, ethnic or geographical origin and sex.

The security agencies were implored to spare the journalists from any form of harassment and intimidation and instead allow them to exercise their duties of information the public on the elections during the entire process; from the campaigns, the actual polling on October 25th and announcement of the results.

However, the media houses were cautioned to act responsibly in their coverage by reporting objectively, giving fair coverage to all players from different political groups and affiliations and avoid biased reporting which can instigate the public against one group or the other.

"We expect the media to report responsibly the entire election process without fear or bias against any party", the statement said, noting that journalists should stick to their professional ethics and national interests by, among other things, avoiding unwarranted attacks on rivals  

ELCT leaders argued that although Tanzania has been spared of high level bloodshed during elections compared to other African countries, recent incidents of breach of peace at the polling stations should be a warning that something must be done to ensure the coming polls are free of violence.
"Normally there would be no chaos until some people sense they have robbed of their votes", the church said, pleading against presence of heavily armed police at the polling centres as that tended to frighten the voters and the public in general.
The Church openly admitted that it has been dissatisfied by the recently completed voter registration under the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) technology, saying the exercise was flawed and that hundreds could not exercise their constitutional right because they have not been registered or their names were missing from the updated list.

It wondered why Tanzanians in diaspora and those working in the country's diplomatic missions outside continue to be denied that right. 

Other groups of people who could not be listed to vote are people with disabilities, some students in institutions of higher learning and other groups not specified.
NEC was urged to extend the registration so that the missed out groups can be eligible to vote on October 25. Recent reports had it that over 20 million Tanzanians are reported to have registered to vote this year.

The Church also castigated the recent flaws seen in the primary nomination exercise for aspirants to political posts being contested, saying it was marred by corruption, nepotism and beatings of some candidates.  In some cases, the nomination had to be repeated in some constituencies.

A communication officer with the ELCT head office Ms Elizabeth Lobulu told the press yesterday that the Church's position was given in the light of the election mood which has gripped the country, amid rising concerns over the likely inconsistencies that may crop up due to the recent nomination process.

Without mentioning any political party, the Church said it was shocked by lack of transparency in endorsing the names of candidates vying for various political posts and why NEC had been quiet over the menace.

The church's position on the polls has come shortly after NEC directed in Arusha that no election campaigns are to be held within the compounds of the prayer houses or near them.

The polls coordinator in the region Richard Kwitega told reporters here that it was against the law to organize campaign meetings inside or within the precints of the prayer houses.

He called on all the political parties to observe the directive, warning those going against the directive will face the full wrath of the law. At least 22 political parties will field their candidates to vie for various positions but fewer for the presidential race.
Besides,the prayer houses, NEC has further prohibited campaign meetings within the precints of the public education institutions such as the universities and colleges.
Mr.Kwitega reiterated that NEC was an independent body not affiliated to any political party and that is has been mandated to manage the elections on the basis of the laid down rules and regulations.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Former Tanzanian prime minister Edward Lowassa  has officially  defected from the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, accusing it of "oppressive leadership", less than three months ahead of a general election to be held on r October 25.
Edward Lowasa
Lowassa, 61, was the east African country's prime minister between 2005 and 2008.
He said he was now joining the opposition Chadema party.
"CCM leaders have of late turned to be undemocratic, oppressive and witch-hunting. I am no longer with them," Lowassa said, adding he had switched to Chadema "to bring positive and meaningful change in our society."
Lowassa had joined the race earlier this month to run as the CCM's presidential candidate, where he was seen as a frontrunner among 42 candidates, but lost out to government minister John Magufuli.
Following his defeat, Lowassa claimed the ruling party was "infested with leaders who are dictators, undemocratic and surrounded with greedy power mongers."
The ruling CCM party has dominated politics since modern Tanzania was formed in 1964, and currently has two-thirds of seats in parliament.
Tanzania, with over 50 million people, is east Africa's most populous country, with economic growth of more than seven percent, according to the World Bank.
Despite advances, the country remains very poor by regional and international standards, the World Bank says, with agriculture the key sector, providing a quarter of gross domestic product and employing three-quarters of the population.
The government has also been criticised for failing to stamp out rampant corruption

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Food and drugs experts from in and outside the country recently converged at Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NMAIST) for two days workshop to chart out ways of suppressing one of the most deadly food poisons.

Aflatoxin is a poisonous chemical contaminating maize, groundnuts, and other key staple foods in the country, making them unfit for human and livestock consumption.

The chemical is secreted by a naturally occurring fungus Aspergillus flavus dubbed silent killer, as it causes liver cancer and suppresses the body’s immunity when the contamination reaches high levels.

“Studies also link aflatoxin to stunted growth among children,” Dr Martin Kimanya, a senior lecturer with the NMAIST, says.

Dr Kimanya is leading a three-man team tasked with analysing the gravity of the poison reported to have killed at least 125 people out of over 300 Kenyans found with the chemical in their blood. 
The team has devised an action plan that seeks to develop a safe and natural bio-control technology that can effectively reduce aflatoxin contamination of maize and groundnuts in the field and during storage. 
Dr Kimanya says the analysis had also revealed that maize, the country’s number one staple food, was way above the recommended maximum limits, citing Bukombe in Shinyanga Region, where the chemical was traced in 80 per cent of the maize sold in the district.

“Ninety nine per cent of the sampled children were found with aflatoxin in their blood,” says Dr Kimanya, adding that Tanzania was incurring an average of $332 million worth of loss in terms of health challenges arising from the chemical.

“This is besides the loss incurred in trade and food security,” he says. The three-man team has developed a five-year draft aflatoxin action plan for controlling aflatoxin in the country.
If stakeholders validate the plan today, it will go a long way in improving the health and livelihoods of millions of families in the country and reduce loss of income from banned trade of contaminated food. 
Ms Yokobety Malisa, the acting director of Coordination of Government Business in the Prime Minister’s Office, says tonnes of exported maize were once returned into the country after the grains were found to contain the poisonous chemical.
Tanzania is among five pilot countries in Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), a flagship programme in the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture in African Union Commission (AUC), is focusing aflatoxin mitigation efforts.
According to the PACA programme manager, Dr Amare Ayalew, the partnership works with governments to improve their effectiveness and efficiency in tackling the aflatoxin challenge in Africa.
PACA was created at the recommendations of the 7th Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform where the urgent need to control mycotoxin contamination was emphasized.

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Elections in Burundi should be delayed by at least a month and a half and all violence must stop, East African leaders said Sunday after a regional summit on the crisis.
"The summit, concerned at the impasse in Burundi, strongly calls for a long postponement of the elections not less than a month and a half," the East African Community (EAC) said in a statement read out by its secretary general Richard Sezibera after the meeting of regional leaders in Tanzania.
The statement called "on all parties to stop violence," for the "disarmament of all armed youth groups" -- a clear reference to ruling party supporters accused of attacking opponents -- and for "the creation of conditions for the return of refugees" who have fled the turmoil.
The crisis in Burundi erupted after the ruling party designated Nkurunziza, in power for 10 years, as its candidate for upcoming elections.
The opposition and rights groups say this violates the constitution as well as a 2006 peace deal that ended a 13-year civil war.
The war left hundred of thousands dead, and there are widespread fears that the current crisis could push the impoverished, landlocked country back into conflict.
Burundi's government has insisted that parliamentary elections will take place on June 5 despite weeks of civil unrest that has left at least 30 people dead. The presidential election is scheduled for June 26.
The summit has been seen as an important opportunity to resolve the crisis, with talks between Nkurunziza's camp and the Burundian opposition deadlocked.
However the leaders stopped short of telling the president to back down, only calling for a "return to the constitutional order" in Burundi.
- Nkurunziza 'campaigning' -
The Burundian president, however, failed to turn up: his spokesman said he instead would be pushing ahead with his re-election campaign.
It was during a first crisis meeting on May 13 in Tanzania's economic capital, attended by Nkurunziza, that a top general launched an unsuccessful bid to oust him -- and the president was seen as being wary of again leaving the country. 
There was no immediate response from the Burundian government to the call for an election delay.
According to a diplomat close to the talks, Nkurunziza will also be expected to "give the opposition and independent media an opportunity to freely express themselves".
The EAC summit was attended by leaders from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Rwandan President Paul Kagame, a key regional player and Burundi's neighbour, sent a minister to represent him, although South African President Jacob Zuma did join the talks.
Nkuruniza, a former rebel leader from the Hutu majority and a born-again Christian, insists he has every right to stand again, arguing that for his first term in office he was appointed by parliament and not after a general election.
Asked to rule on Nkurunziza's candidacy, Burundi's constitutional court found in favour of the president, but not before one of the judges also fled the country, claiming that its members were subject to death threats.
- Demonstrators disappointed -
Key international donors have withdrawn their support for the polls, as has the influential Catholic Church in Burundi, and on Saturday it emerged that a senior member of the election commission had fled the country -- further plunging preparations for the polls into disarray.
The country's main opposition leader, Agathon Rwasa, also said elections would be a "masquerade" if they go ahead.
UN special envoy Said Djinnit said on Friday that talks between the Burundian government and opposition had made progress on several issues -- including the reopening of independent media and the release of detainees -- but not on the key issue of a halt to protests in return for Nkurunziza's agreement not to stand again.
He said both sides "have agreed to resume their talks after the summit in Dar es Salaam".
But demonstrators on the streets of Bujumbura said they were disappointed by the outcome of the summit.
"It doesn't change anything. One month is not enough. there are lots of problems -- independent media has not reopened, the rights of protestors are violated. All of this needs to be resolved before elections can be held," said Antoine, an anti-Nkurunziza activist who asked that his full name not be published.

"It shows that the heads of state don't have the will to deal with Nkurunziza," said another demonstrator. "The crisis will continue, even get worse."

Wednesday, May 13, 2015


More than 150 participants are meeting  in Nairobi for an international conference to share knowledge on the latest diagnostics and screening methods for the maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease, and assess ways of curbing its spread across Africa to help mitigate its effects, particularly large-scale crop losses for smallholders and seed companies.

The conference is timely because quality seed is the pillar of agriculture in Africa and the world. It is therefore important to protect the maize seed value chain from MLN through concerted action by both the public and private sectors.

“The maize lethal necrosis disease has caused losses worth millions of dollars for farmers and seed companies in the affected regions in sub-Saharan Africa, where maize is both a food and cash crop. It is also affects food consumers since farmers have no maize crop to release to the market. This therefore calls for urgent need to find a sustainable and widely applicable solution as key stakeholders,” said Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

To this end, AGRA, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in collaboration with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) have organized a conference on MLN Diagnostics and Management in Africa. The event will bring together scientists, policymakers, seed companies and regulators to take stock of current knowledge and best practice in managing MLN, and to build consensus on the actions needed to check its spread.

The situation is particularly critical as most of the maize varieties in East Africa’s seed market are vulnerable to MLN. In Kenya for example, the disease is widespread across most maize-growing areas causing an estimated loss of 10 per cent of national maize production per year (equivalent to USD 50 million).

This means that Kenya and neighboring countries (DR Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan and Uganda) where the disease has been reported are on the verge of serious food insecurity, unless urgent and intensive action is taken.

“The profound implication of MLN for Africa’s most important grain – maize – is a reality that cannot be ignored. We have a responsibility to work together and control its spread, as
scientists continue to work hard in developing maize varieties that can effectively resist the MLN viruses,” said Dr. Prasanna Boddupalli, Director of CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program.

The rapid spread of the MLN disease is a major concern for scientists, regulators and maize seed companies. The conference will therefore focus on finding practical solutions to strengthen MLN diagnostics and surveillance capacity. Other solutions include MLN-free seed production and safe exchange to non-endemic areas, which is a key step in controlling further spread and impact of MLN in sub-Saharan Africa.

“At AGRA, we have years of experience in working with seed companies to produce quality, certified seed. We hope to draw on that experience as we collaborate with all stakeholders involved in the MLN mitigation effort to ensure that Africa’s farmers continue to access quality, MLN-free seed to safeguard their livelihoods and food security,” said Dr. George Bigirwa, AGRA’s Head of the Regional Team for East and Southern Africa.

Collaboration with national agricultural research bodies like KALRO has been instrumental in the ongoing efforts to identify and develop MLN-tolerant maize varieties. The establishment of the MLN screening facility in 2013 at Naivasha, Kenya, by CIMMYT and KALRO in response to the MLN outbreak in East Africa was a welcome and much-needed intervention. Recently, a few MLN-tolerant maize varieties have been released in East Africa, and several more are in the pipeline.

“This facility was a critical breakthrough in our efforts to manage MLN. So far, more than 40,000 maize accessions have been evaluated and promising lines with levels of resistance to MLN have been selected. Our collaboration with key partners will remain steadfast until we eliminate MLN in Kenya and Africa. This is a commitment that KALRO will faithfully uphold,” said Dr. Eliud Kireger, Director General of KALRO.

Dr. Anne Wangai, KALRO’s Chief Researcher, who played a key role in reporting the disease in Kenya in 2011, adds, “The occurrence of MLN in Kenya was a new phenomenon that meant scientists had to initiate basic research to understand this new disease and seek urgent measures to manage it both the short and long term. Research will remain a pillar of MLN management, integrating various technologies that our farmers must adopt at their level to control the disease.”

The decisions from the conference will be critical for seed companies in Africa to produce and exchange MLN-free seed, and for helping smallholder farmers to effectively tackle MLN to safeguard their subsistence and livelihoods

Thursday, April 2, 2015

A local NGO has embarked on movement against domestic gender based violence in its quest to address historical injustice in Kilimanjaro region.



Kilimanjaro HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention Program (MKUKI) says that domestic gender based violence (GBV) is a silent, but deadly social menace mostly affecting women and children.

To start with, Mkuki Executive Director, Linnah Mlay says they have resolved to carry out awareness campaign and so far about 50 the local and clan leaders from nearly 16 villages in Moshi rural district have been reached out.

“Why clan leaders, it is because they are dealing with GBV cases, so we believe if educated, they are better placed not only to decide fairly, but also to spread the message among their clan members” Ms Mlay explains during a workshop held in Himo small town.

She believes that awareness raising, advocacy, and community mobilization with clan as well as local government leaders would help them recognize their roles in responding to GBV and develop strategies to take action.

According to her GBV is a grave reality in the lives of many women in Tanzania. It results from gender norms, social and economic inequities that give privilege to men over women.

“We can no longer pretend that we don’t know that in Tanzania there’s a gender discrimination and gender equity in different facets of life” Ms Mlay says.

Mkuki campaign includes how prevalent gender-based violence is and the ways and extent to which it harms not only women and girls but also men and boys and, furthermore, the country’s developing economy and health and social welfare systems.
Aginatha Rutazaa, trainer says that in most incidents the chagga and Pare tribes handle GBV cases by using traditional systems where women are always the losers.
“By educating clan leaders, then the clan meetings can become the agents of change as far as GBV is concerned” Ms Rutazaa explains.
One of trained clan leader, Michael Shirima, from Kilema village commended MKUKI for coming up with such kind of training package for them because it gives them insights.
In their declaration after training, the clan leaders vowed to do utmost to eradicate not only GBV, but also other harmful traditions.

“We are going to break the silence and dare to be transparent on this issues to both men and women. We will also educate our members on how best can spend incomes to avoid GBV” reads the declaration presented by Ismail Sevuri.

The clan leaders promised to empower their members both men and women on importance of reporting the GBV when occur to them.

They also implored the government to enforce international and local human rights protocols such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948 in Paris.

The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled.

 “The government needs to provide education on the harmful effects of GBV and review existing laws on gender violence in a bid to be effective” reads part of their declaration.

Mkuki, an NGO registered way back in 1994 with its catchment area in Kilimanjaro region, has its vision that desire community that is free of new HIV infections and vigilant in upholding equal rights for men and women, as well as those infected and affected by the scourge.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

 Kenya Airways stands to lose big time after the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority’s decision to cut the frequency of its flights from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro by over 60 per cent.
In what appears to be payback after Kenya banned Tanzanian vehicles from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the move comes in the wake of a deadlock on the Bilateral Air Services Agreements (Basa) between the two countries. Flights from Kenya to Tanzania are now down to 14 a week from 42, a 67 per cent reduction. The move took effect on Tuesday.
TCAA has written to the government of Kenya informing it of the decision, which took effect on Tuesday this week. The move is likely to affect tourism and trade between the two countries.
According to the TCAA letter, Kenya has maintained a hardline stance on resolving issues surrounding the Basa. The acting TCAA Director General, Mr Charles Chacha, told The Citizen yesterday that the two countries had gone for years without an aviation agreement. “It is quite clear that civil aviation is administered by laws and principles,” Mr Chacha said. “Each country is required to comply with the laws in a given country.” The Bilateral Air Services Agreements (Basa) has been stuck in a stalemate between the two countries.
There are issues to be considered in each agreement, Mr Chacha said, including the number and kind of flights, alongside identification of airport for international flights.
In Tanzania, most of international flights use Mwanza, Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro airports. “When you sign an agreement,” Mr Chacha added, “you have an obligation to protect and guarantee the safety of all planes in your space.”
The TCAA boss said the measures spelled out in the letter will remain in place pending Kenya’s response.
The matter has seemingly been a burning issue for years and representatives of both countries have met to discuss it--with no success.
According to Mr Chacha, there have been meetings to sort out the matter for almost eight years, having started in 2007. There were further meetings in Nairobi in 2011 and in Indonesia in 2014. “We have considered the gravity of the non-acceptance by Kenya of the proposed criterion by Tanzania and the time taken and implementation of the actions seemed to be the option,” he said. “The United Republic of Tanzania regrets that the discussions could not come into consensus on the matter relating to principal place of business and effective regulatory control as a criterion for airline designation parallel to the majority ownership and effective control requirement,” reads part of the letter.
Asked about the economic outcome, the TCAA boss responded that there were advantages and disadvantages to everything.
Kenya Airways is the leading foreign airline in terms of flights operated per week between Kenya and Tanzania and it will now have to reschedule all flights to comply with the new schedule.
The Kenya Airways country manager in Tanzania, Ms Lucy Malu, told The Citizen that she and her team were doing everything they could to contain passengers within the given flights. “We have been affected by the TCAA’s decision but we have managed to fix our schedules and I can say things are in order,” she added.
SOURCE; THE CITIZEN

Sunday, February 22, 2015

A pile of animal hides used as sleeping pads are the only few items that can be spotted around Arash, Loosoito and Maaaloni villages in Ngorongoro District following the recent eviction  that saw bomas burnt to ashes.
Homeless families living under the tree
From a distance one can only see a few sacks, sleeping mats and water buckets hanging from tree branches as you approach the area that has been dotted with ashes
Residents say the area is too moist to put their few belongings on ground and the condition gives children sleepless nights.
Though young children looked un- disturbed by the situation, one could paint a picture of how they endure the extremely cold Ngorongoro weather during the night.
Sleeping under tree or maybe on tall tree branches for elders as a way to protect their families from wild animals, could be the only imagination.
When this reporter visited the villages recently he found the hungry children, women and old men striving to meet their ends.
“We have no food, blankets, cooking utensils, cloths. Everything was burnt. The government has burned our homes, everything we owned and abandoned us” William Seyelek, a traditional Masaai elder said.
Seyelek said they have vowed not to leave their land despite the government directives because, the area belongs to them.
“We belong here, our forefathers lived and were buried here. We cannot forsake them this time that they are no longer with us. We will fight if not for us but for their sake” he said.
He said they will fight for their rights and set a history for their generation because their relocation from Serengeti National Park to the area was an agreement between them and the British government way back during colonialism.
 Some villagers who talked to The Guardian on Sunday said they live in horrible conditions especially after the brutal acts were carried out during the rainy seasons.
A Maaaloni villager who preferred anonymous said she has been left homeless with a family of eight. “My children cannot sleep at night and always complain of coldness because we do not have even bed sheets let alone blankets” she said.
The conflict area saw Tanzanian National Parks security rangers burning Masaai people’s bomas on February 12 this year has left more than three thousand residents homeless has been in dispute for over20 years.
  Government stand:
Ngorongoro District commissioner, Elias Wawa Lali earlier condemned the burning of Maasai homes and warned that the actions would escalate violence in the area. 
However, Arusha Regional Commissioner (RC)  Daudi Ntibenda who visited the Area on Thursday this week maintained that Maasai community have to vacate the area before the full wrath of the state fall on them.
 “I give you two more weeks to vacate the area and those who disobey the order will be forcefully evicted “the RC reportedly said.
However in a meeting with Masaai community at Imolelian area, the victims were not given a chance to speak or their fate so to say. 
Ntibenda instead told the community to vacate the area, claiming they were posing a threat to the famous Serengeti national park and the wildebeests’ ecosystem migration. He also accused the media for a biased coverage.
 Human rights activists:
A human rights defender from Tanzania Pastoralist community forum Joseph Parsambei has condemned the government for its actions its own citizens appeal for high consideration on the fate of the affected families.
He said such an act was against human rights, as the government has disregarded victims loses and denied assistance.
“We need to provide food for the starving population - especially children. Livestock have been removed from this area, this means children lack milk and from the look of things they are in terrible suffering,” he said.
Background 
Earlier the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Lazaro Nyalandu on different occasions explained to the local communities the value of the area for biodiversity conservation both nationally and internationally.  
He said the area was important for the nation and invited Masaai communities to be fully involved in managing it for a shared benefit.
 However, the Minister’s proposal was rejected by the community who insisted that the land belonged solely to them and they do not tolerate national or international interference.

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