Category: The Citizen

Yanga’s march towards another Mainland Tanzania Premier League title has been built as much on defensive resilience as attacking brilliance, and no player embodies that better than goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.

With one match still remaining, the Mali international has already wrapped up the league’s Golden Glove award after recording an unmatched 17 clean sheets this season, underlining his status as the division’s most dependable goalkeeper.

Diarra reached the milestone in Yanga’s 3-0 victory over TRA United, extending a remarkable run that no other goalkeeper can match. His closest challenger, Simba’s Mahamadou Tanja Kassali, can finish with a maximum of 16 clean sheets even if he shuts out his opponents in the final round, leaving Diarra beyond reach. The achievement is particularly satisfying for the Yanga shot-stopper, who endured heartbreak last season despite also recording 17 clean sheets. On that occasion, Simba goalkeeper Moussa Camara claimed the Golden Glove with 19 shutouts in his debut campaign after joining from Guinea’s Horoya AC.

This season, however, Diarra has turned consistency into silverware. His clean-sheet record has been the cornerstone of Yanga’s campaign, with the goalkeeper producing crucial saves in tight contests while marshalling one of the league’s most disciplined defensive units.

Whether dealing with aerial balls, one-on-one situations or long-range efforts, Diarra has repeatedly delivered when his team needed him most.

The award also reflects the defensive chemistry between Diarra and Yanga’s backline, which has frustrated opponents throughout the season and laid the foundation for the club’s push towards a fifth consecutive league title.

Yanga’s final league match against JKT Tanzania presents Diarra with the opportunity to raise his clean-sheet tally to 18, setting a new personal best and surpassing the mark he established in the 2024/25 campaign.

If he manages another shutout, Diarra will not only finish as the league’s undisputed best goalkeeper but also cap one of the finest defensive seasons by any player in recent years, adding another chapter to his growing legacy at the Jangwani Street club.

NTV Uganda and Spark TV were forced off air by 5:00am local time on Sunday after an overnight security crackdown at Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda premises in Namuwongo and Kampala Serena Hotel, following a shutdown order by first son and Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba against the media group’s outlets.

NTV Uganda and Spark TV viewers were met with blank screens displaying the message ‘video unavailable’, while uncertainty surrounded the operations of NMG’s other platforms, including the Daily Monitor, which Gen Muhoozi had also targeted in his late-night declarations.

The security operation began shortly after midnight, with personnel deployed at the NMG premises and staff reporting “that no one was being allowed to enter or leave the compound.” The deployment followed a series of posts on X by Gen Muhoozi in which he declared that NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor would be shut down amid a long-term ban from covering his father, President Museveni.

“NTV and Monitor are being shut down from today!” Gen Muhoozi wrote in a 1:07am post.

Gen Muhoozi, who is well-known to Ugandans for his incendiary social media posts, followed with another post stating: “Both NTV and Monitor will not re-open without my permission.”

In another post earlier, he said: “In Uganda, I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution.”

The remarks marked an escalation of threats made over the past week, during which Gen Muhoozi repeatedly claimed he was awaiting permission from his father, President Museveni, before moving against the media house that employs hundreds of people.

In Uganda, NMG owns the 20-year-old NTV Uganda, the Daily Monitor, The East African, Spark TV, 93.3 KFM, 90.4 Dembe FM, Ennyanda newspaper and the Nation Courier, among other media platforms and investments.

Spark TV and NTV Uganda remained on air even as an unprecedented attack on Uganda’s leading independent media house continued through the early hours of Sunday during a prolonged security operation.

At 4:45am local time, nearly four hours after the siege began, the broadcaster was still carrying an Al Jazeera simulcast despite the security presence around the media group’s premises.

Shortly afterwards, NTV Uganda and Spark TV went off air.

90.4 Dembe FM and 93.3 KFM also appeared to have gone off air during the operation with no reason immediately given by Ugandan authorities.

By daybreak, security personnel remained deployed at the NMG premises in Namuwongo and Serena Hotel, with staff inside reporting they were unable to move in or out as the operation continued.

Neither the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, the Uganda Police Force nor the Uganda Communications Commission had immediately issued a formal statement explaining the operation or announcing any legal order affecting the broadcaster or newspaper.

It’s not yet clear how long the State-enforced blackout will last and NMG Uganda, which employs more than 500 people in the country alone, had also not issued an official statement by the time of publication.

Not the first time

The latest operation is not the first time NMG Uganda operations have been targeted by State agents. In May 2013, police raided the Daily Monitor and Dembe FM over the publication of a letter allegedly linking senior government officials to a succession plan dubbed the “Muhoozi Project.”

The premises remained sealed for more than a week before the outlets were allowed to resume operations after signing police search certificates and other documents.

In February 2007, barely two months after NTV Uganda launched in December 2006, the broadcaster was forced off air by the government following accusations that its news coverage was negative.

Over the years, Museveni has also repeatedly criticised the Daily Monitor, at one point referring to it as an “enemy and evil newspaper” over its critical journalism.

Despite repeated confrontations with the authorities, NMG-Uganda has consistently maintained its commitment to independent, public-interest journalism, describing itself as “Uganda’s Bold Voice” ahead of the disputed January 2026 presidential polls.

Past raids drew widespread condemnation from local and international media freedom organisations and rights groups.

About NMG

The Nation Media Group (‘NMG’ or the ‘Group’) is the largest independent media house in East and Central Africa with operations in print, broadcast and digital media which attract and serve unparalleled audiences across East Africa.

Today, NMG has operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, and is listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, the Uganda Securities Exchange, and Rwanda Stock exchange.

Tanzania will have a solitary swimmer, Collins Saliboko, representing the country at the 2026 Commonwealth Games scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Saliboko will compete under the guidance of coach Kanisi Mabena, according to reports received by The Citizen. Tanzania will also field amateur boxers, judoka and runners.

The 24-year-old swimmer is currently based in South Africa, where he is also in camp preparing for the global event while continuing with his studies as a second-year student at Nelson Mandela University. His training environment in South Africa has provided him with consistent exposure to high-performance swimming programs and competitive training partners, helping him refine his technique and endurance ahead of major international assignments.

Saliboko is no stranger to top-level competition, having steadily built his profile on the international stage over the past few years.

He represented Tanzania at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, competing in the men’s 100m freestyle event. In Paris, he gained valuable experience at the highest level of the sport, clocking 53.38 seconds in the heats.

He finished seventh in his heat and did not advance to the next round, but the race marked an important milestone in his development as one of Tanzania’s leading sprint swimmers.

Beyond the Olympic Games, Saliboko has consistently featured in World Aquatics competitions, where he has tested himself against some of the world’s best swimmers.

At the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in 2024, he delivered one of his strongest performances to date, setting a national record of 51.10 seconds in the men’s 100m freestyle. In the same championship, he also competed in the 100m butterfly, where he posted a time of 55.45 seconds, further demonstrating his versatility in sprint events.

In long-course competition, Saliboko has also made appearances at the World Aquatics Championships (50m pool), competing in both freestyle and butterfly sprint events. One of his standout performances came at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan, where he recorded 24.43 seconds in the 50m freestyle.

His participation across multiple events at this level has helped him gain valuable race experience and measure his progress against elite international competition.

Over time, Saliboko’s performances in both short-course and long-course formats have established him as one of Tanzania’s most consistent international swimmers. He has regularly set national records and continues to push the boundaries of Tanzanian swimming on the world stage, particularly in sprint freestyle events where competition is extremely intense.

His journey to Glasgow will once again place him on one of the sport’s biggest stages, where he will be aiming to improve on his previous international performances and continue building Tanzania’s presence in global swimming.

Minister for Works Abdallah Ulega has directed contractors constructing roads linked to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) to operate around the clock to ensure key infrastructure is completed within the required timelines.

The directive targets strategic road sections in Arusha, one of the cities expected to host activities during the tournament, which Tanzania will co-host with Kenya and Uganda.

Finance Minister Khamis Mussa Omar has urged taxpayers to continue paying taxes voluntarily, on time and in full, saying domestic revenue remains critical in financing major development projects and improving social services.

Speaking during the Taxpayer Appreciation Run and Walk held at the Gymkhana Grounds in Dar es Salaam ahead of the President’s Best Taxpayer Awards and celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Mr Omar said the government continued to rely heavily on domestic revenue to drive the country’s development agenda.

He said TRA is expected to collect approximately Sh36 trillion in the 2026/27 financial year as part of projected domestic revenue of Sh46 trillion to pary finance the government’s Sh62.3 trillion budget. Mr Omar said revenue collection performance in the 2025/26 financial year reflected strong cooperation between the government and taxpayers.

He noted that TRA exceeded its monthly revenue collection target by three percent last month and expressed confidence that the authority would meet its annual target by June 30.

‘Every financial year marks a new beginning. As we enter July, we embark on another journey with even greater goals. We wish business people and investors success in their economic activities, but such success should go hand in hand with fulfilling the responsibility of paying taxes voluntarily, on time and in full,’ he said.

Mr Omar said major projects currently under implementation, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), improvements to the TAZARA railway and the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP), had largely been financed through tax revenues collected from citizens and businesses.

He said the SGR had transformed the transport sector by carrying thousands of passengers in a single journey, helping to reduce road congestion and improve efficiency in economic activities.

Mr Omar also urged Tanzanians to embrace a culture of regular physical exercise, noting that good health increases productivity at workplaces, reduces healthcare costs and boosts economic output.

‘I urge TRA staff, taxpayers and tax consultants to continue participating in physical exercise because a healthy body enhances decision-making and improves service delivery,’ he said.

The minister also stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability and national unity, saying these remained essential foundations for business growth, investment and revenue collection.

‘Without peace and stability, economic activities cannot flourish. It is our collective responsibility to safeguard the country’s peace so that citizens can continue working, producing, earning income and paying taxes for national development,’ he said.

Mr Omar also congratulated TRA on its 30th anniversary and commended taxpayers for their contribution to national development through tax payments, while calling for stronger cooperation between the government, taxpayers and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, TRA Commissioner General Yusuph Mwenda said strong cooperation between the authority and taxpayers had remained a key pillar of revenue collection success.

He said the achievements had been driven by increased trust and collaboration between TRA and taxpayers, contributing to higher government revenue and supporting the implementation of development projects and essential public services.

‘TRA has continued implementing major operational, systemic and technological reforms aimed at simplifying service delivery and improving revenue collection efficiency. Digital systems have reduced bureaucracy, increased transparency and accountability, and enabled taxpayers to access services more quickly and conveniently,’ he said.

Mr Mwenda added that TRA would continue investing in innovation, technology and taxpayer education to strengthen the business environment, expand the tax base and stimulate sustainable economic growth.

Former Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume has said his decision to chair the Board of Trustees of the Edward Lowassa Foundation was driven by a long-standing friendship with the late former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa and their shared interest in education and conflict resolution.

Speaking during the foundation’s second Board of Trustees meeting in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, Mr Karume said he initially hesitated to take up the role, citing his reduced involvement in public duties.

When the Pacific Rim Gaming Policy Forum convened its closed-door roundtable in Auckland this past spring, the discussion quickly moved past the predictable talking points.

Among the voices shaping the conversation was Charlotte Wilson, editor at BetPokies NZ – a specialist whose cross-market research into emerging and regulated gaming jurisdictions has placed her at the forefront of digital casino analysis.

The session’s central question was deceptively simple: do Tanzania and New Zealand, two markets separated by geography and economic context, share enough structural DNA to influence each other’s digital gaming trajectories? Wilson’s answer was a qualified – but well-evidenced – yes.

Two Markets, One Structural Tension – BetPokies NZ Perspective

For Charlotte Wilson, Tanzania’s position in the digital gaming conversation is inseparable from its regulatory architecture. The Gaming Board of Tanzania, established under the Gaming Act, Cap. 41, governs all licensed gambling operations in the country, and Wilson treats its licensing framework as a meaningful indicator of where the Tanzanian market is heading.

As she noted during the roundtable, the Board’s 2022 push to formalise mobile betting platforms – documented in coverage by www.thecitizen.co.tz – represents not merely a domestic policy decision but a regional signal. East Africa’s gambling audience is digitally mobile-first, and Tanzania is actively positioning itself to capture that shift through regulated channels.

New Zealand’s trajectory runs along a different fault line. The Department of Internal Affairs administers the Gambling Act 2003, which continues to prohibit domestic online casino operators from holding New Zealand-issued licences.

This creates what Wilson describes as a “regulatory vacuum that the market fills regardless.” Offshore platforms, compliant with foreign licensing authorities, serve New Zealand players in a space that is tolerated but not explicitly governed by domestic law.

The Gambling (Facilitation of Online Gambling) Amendment Bill, which has circulated in various forms through Parliament, remains unresolved – a persistent gap Wilson returns to in her editorial assessments at betpokies.co.nz.

Where Tanzania and New Zealand Markets Begin to Converge

Despite obvious differences in development stage, Wilson identifies forces that connect TZ and NZ more tightly than most industry observers acknowledge:

Mobile-first user behaviour: Both markets show dominant smartphone usage for digital gaming, which reduces the relevance of desktop-optimised platforms and puts pressure on operators to deliver seamless mobile experiences.

Payment infrastructure as a licensing filter: In Tanzania, M-Pesa integration has become a de facto requirement for any operator seeking meaningful market reach. In New Zealand, localised payment options carry comparable weight – platforms accommodating POLi casinos demonstrate a practical commitment to frictionless, locally-relevant financial access.

Regulatory intent versus regulatory capacity: Both jurisdictions have stated aims to modernise gambling oversight, but enforcement resources remain asymmetric relative to market size.

Consumer protection as a reputational battleground: Player dispute data, not just licensing status, is increasingly what sophisticated users reference when evaluating operator legitimacy in both markets.

Grey market tolerance as a transitional phase: Neither country has achieved full domestic operator licensing for online casino play, meaning players in both TZ and NZ currently operate in environments shaped by offshore compliance standards.

Taken together, these five pressure points reveal a pattern that Wilson describes as “convergent friction” – distinct markets experiencing the same structural stress from different starting positions.

The implication for operators is concrete: a platform built to perform in one of these environments is, by design, better equipped to serve the other.

“When I map these two markets side by side, what stands out is not the gap between them but the speed at which that gap is closing. Operators who treat Tanzania and New Zealand as unrelated bets are already behind the curve,” shares Charlotte Wilson.

How BetPokies NZ Interprets Payment Infrastructure Signals

Wilson draws her Tanzania analysis partly from www.thecitizen.co.tz, which she regards as one of the more reliable sources tracking the intersection of telecoms policy and gambling regulation in East Africa.

Her reading of recent reporting there points to a consistent pattern: Tanzanian regulatory bodies are currently prioritising revenue formalisation over consumer protection, with the expectation that safeguards will follow once the licensing infrastructure matures.

This sequencing, Wilson argues, is not unusual for emerging digital markets – but it does create an uneven playing field for players during the transition period.

In New Zealand, she applies a comparable analytical lens to the Department of Internal Affairs’ annual gambling expenditure data. The figures consistently show that casino-style games account for a growing share of offshore spend.

For Wilson, this is less a marketing observation than a structural one: payment method adoption reveals where regulatory gaps actually sit, not where they theoretically should. When an operator invests in integrating locally used payment solutions, it signals alignment with the market it claims to serve.

This analytical approach is a fixture of Wilson’s editorial work at BetPokies NZ, where payment infrastructure is treated as a primary market signal rather than a secondary product feature.

What Responsible Operators Should Internalise

The roundtable’s most practically useful segment came when Wilson was asked directly what operators in either market should take from this cross-regional comparison. Her response was grounded in a principle she applies consistently in her reviews: alignment between a platform’s licensing jurisdiction, its payment infrastructure, and its stated player protection policies is the baseline test of operational credibility.

A platform licensed in Malta or Curaçao serving Tanzanian or New Zealand players is not inherently problematic – but the absence of locally-relevant payment options, accessible dispute resolution mechanisms, and region-specific responsible gambling tools signals a gap between paper compliance and real accountability.

The Answer the Roundtable Was Built Around

The convergence of Tanzania and New Zealand within a single digital gaming conversation reflects a wider shift in how global gaming growth is being distributed across regulatory tiers. Wilson’s conclusion at the forum was direct: markets at different stages of regulatory maturity are increasingly connected through shared user behaviour, common payment infrastructure dependencies, and the same cohort of offshore-licensed operators.

Her analysis, drawn from years of editorial work at BetPokies NZ and anchored in primary regulatory data from both jurisdictions, points to one clear answer – regulatory developments in Dar es Salaam carry genuine relevance for how players in Auckland experience digital gaming.

TZ and NZ are not parallel stories. They are, as Wilson put it, two chapters of the same industry text, written at different speeds but converging on the same page.

Air Tanzania has increased flights between Dar es Salaam and Mumbai, India, from four times a week to daily services, citing rising passenger demand for business, medical, education and tourism travel.

Air Tanzania Director of Marketing and Commercial Services, Dominic Louis, said the new schedule took effect this month after strong traffic growth on the route.

For many people outside the continent, Africa is often understood through headlines. Some focus on elections and political transitions. Others highlight currency volatility, debt concerns or security challenges.

These developments are part of Africa’s reality and deserve attention. However, they rarely tell the full story of a continent undergoing one of the most profound economic and demographic transformations of the 21st century.

Having spent years building businesses across Africa and the Middle East, I have come to appreciate that the most important stories are often the ones that never dominate international news. They are the stories of entrepreneurs creating opportunities where none previously existed.

They are the stories of businesses embracing technology to solve uniquely African challenges. They are the stories of expanding cities, improving infrastructure, growing regional trade and a generation of young Africans determined to shape their own economic future.

Those stories may not always capture headlines, but they are quietly transforming the continent. One of the biggest misconceptions about Africa is that it is treated as a single market. In reality, Africa is a collection of 54 diverse economies, each with its own strengths, regulatory environments, consumer behaviour and investment opportunities.

Understanding this diversity is essential for anyone looking to invest, expand or build long-term partnerships across the continent. Success in one market does not automatically translate into another. The businesses that succeed are those that invest time in understanding local realities rather than relying on broad assumptions.

What continues to impress me most is the resilience and ambition that exist across African markets. Whether operating in manufacturing, logistics, mining, technology, telecommunications, agriculture, healthcare or hospitality, there is a common determination to build institutions and businesses capable of competing globally.

Governments continue to invest in roads, ports, energy infrastructure and digital connectivity. The private sector is becoming increasingly sophisticated, embracing innovation and adopting technologies that improve efficiency and productivity.

Entrepreneurs are identifying solutions tailored to local challenges rather than simply importing models from elsewhere. These developments receive far less attention than political uncertainty or economic shocks, yet they are the forces that will ultimately shape Africa’s long-term trajectory. Perhaps Africa’s greatest competitive advantage is its people.

The continent has one of the world’s youngest populations, with millions of young people entering the labour market every year. This demographic transition presents challenges, particularly around education, skills development and job creation, but it also represents one of the greatest economic opportunities of our generation.

If governments and businesses invest in education, entrepreneurship and innovation, Africa’s youthful population can become one of the world’s most powerful engines of growth.

Technology is already accelerating that transformation. Across the continent, digital payments, fintech, artificial intelligence, e-commerce and mobile technologies are changing how people transact, access financial services and run businesses.

In many instances, African innovators are not simply adopting global technology-they are developing solutions specifically designed for African markets, solutions that are increasingly attracting global attention. This digital revolution is also lowering barriers for entrepreneurship.

Today, a young entrepreneur with a smartphone can reach customers, access finance and build a business in ways that were unimaginable only a decade ago. Alongside digital transformation, traditional sectors remain equally important. Infrastructure continues to require long-term investment. Manufacturing is creating opportunities to strengthen regional value chains. Agriculture, which remains the backbone of many African economies, has enormous potential for value addition, food security and export growth.

Mining continues to supply the critical minerals needed for the global energy transition, while healthcare and education present opportunities for both social impact and commercial investment. None of these opportunities diminish the challenges the continent faces. Infrastructure gaps remain significant. Regulatory environments continue to evolve.

Access to finance remains limited for many businesses. Skills shortages, governance challenges and policy uncertainty still affect investment decisions in several markets. These realities should not be ignored. But neither should they define Africa. Every emerging market has experienced periods of uncertainty during its development journey.

The countries and businesses that succeed are those that maintain a longterm perspective rather than allowing short-term volatility to dictate every decision. The same principle applies to Africa.

The investors who create lasting value here are those who build relationships, understand local markets, develop local talent and commit themselves beyond individual business cycles. That approach requires patience. It requires listening before acting. It requires partnerships built on trust rather than transactions.

Above all, it requires recognising that Africa is not simply a destination for investment-it is increasingly becoming a source of innovation, entrepreneurship and economic leadership. As someone who has worked across multiple African markets, I remain optimistic about what lies ahead. The Africa I have experienced is not defined by its headlines. It is defined by possibility.

Seventy-nine young agribusiness practitioners from five regions have completed a two-week financial literacy training programme aimed at equipping them with skills to serve as community trainers in financial management, investment and entrepreneurship, in a move expected to strengthen agricultural productivity and improve food security.

The training was delivered under the Vijana Kilimo Biashara (VKB) programme, implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and in collaboration with the Bank of Tanzania Academy (BoT Academy).

Upon completion, the participants were certified as financial educators (CFEs), enabling them to train farmers, livestock keepers and small-scale entrepreneurs within their communities. Speaking in Arusha, BoT Academy Principal Dr Nicas Yabu said the trainees, drawn from Arusha, Dodoma, Singida, Morogoro and Manyara regions, had been equipped with financial knowledge and the responsibility to cascade it at grassroots level.

He said the programme seeks to shift financial awareness from formal institutions to rural communities where most agricultural activity takes place but where financial literacy remains limited.

‘We have trained them on how to earn, save and invest. The aim is for them to return and empower communities to use financial resources effectively and build stronger livelihoods through agriculture and enterprise,’ he said.

The training covered financial services, savings culture, investment opportunities, credit access and responsible borrowing, with inputs from the Bank of Tanzania, UTT AMIS, insurers and commercial banks.

WFP Country Representative Officer-in-Charge Christine Mendes said the initiative is part of the VKB programme, which aims to equip young people with skills for employment and agribusiness development while strengthening financial management.

Since 2023, more than 77,000 young people across eight regions have been reached, while the latest cohort brings the number of certified financial educators to 150.

One participant, Shedrack Minja from Manyara, said the training had shifted his mindset, adding that agriculture should be treated as a business requiring planning, saving and reinvestment.

The BoT Academy and WFP signed an MoU on July 31, 2025, to strengthen financial literacy among youth through the VKB initiative.