Category: The Citizen

Last week, I held a letter my grandmother wrote to my mother in 1987. The paper was thin, the ink faded, but the words were alive. Reading her careful script, I could hear her voice across decades.

This is what letters do: they hold time still long enough for truth to land. As Managing Director of Mwananchi Communications, I spend my days thinking about the future of media.

How do we sustain journalism in the digital age? How do we compete with the instant gratification of social media? How do we convince readers that some things are worth waiting for? The answer, I believe, lies in understanding why letters, and by extension, thoughtful written communication, will never die. The power of the written word in African history In Africa, letters have carried particular weight.

During colonial rule, when oral traditions were dismissed and written records were controlled by the colonizer, letters became acts of resistance. They documented injustice, preserved cultural memory, and coordinated movements for independence.

The written word was not just communication–it was evidence, archive, and weapon. Think of Nelson Mandela’s letters from Robben Island, smuggled out at great risk.

Think of the correspondence between African independence leaders, planning liberation across borders. Think of Martin Luther King Jr.

‘s Letter from Birmingham Jail, written in the margins of newspapers because he had no proper paper. Why print will not die People often ask me if I worry about the future of print journalism.

My answer surprises them: No. Because print has something digital rarely has, intentionality.

When you pick up a newspaper, you are making a choice. You are saying: I will spend the next 20 minutes reading deeply, not scrolling mindlessly.

You are curating your information diet instead of letting an algorithm decide what you see. This is why The Citizen and Mwananchi remain essential.

Not despite the digital age, but because of it. In a world of information overload, curation becomes the most valuable service we can provide.

The leadership practice of writing Here is what I have learned in 23 years of leadership: the best leaders are writers. Not because they are all authors, but because writing forces clarity.

When you write, you cannot hide behind charisma or charm. You cannot rely on tone of voice or body language.

Your ideas must stand on their own. This is terrifying, and essential.

I keep a journal. Not a diary of daily events, but a record of decisions, lessons learned, and questions I am curious about.

This practice of reflection, of writing to think, not just thinking to write–is perhaps the most essential discipline we need to cultivate as leaders. Leaders are readers, yes.

But more importantly, leaders are writers. An invitation So here is my challenge to you: Write a letter to your future self.

Not an email. Not a note in your phone.

A physical letter, with pen and paper. Tell yourself what you are proud of.

What you are afraid of. What you hope for.

Seal it. Date it for one year from now.

When you open it next year, you will understand what I mean about letters holding time still. You will see how much you have grown.

You will remember what mattered. And you will understand why, in an age of instant everything, the letter remains.

Rosalynn Mworia is Managing Director of Mwananchi Communications Limited and founder of The Purple Circle. This column appears monthly in The Citizen .

Moshi. Police in Kilimanjaro Region have barred 21 school buses from transporting students after inspections found them to be defective and unsafe.

The action followed a special inspection conducted across all districts in the region between January 9 and January 12, 2026. According to a statement issued yesterday by the Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander, Mr Simon Maigwa, the inspections were aimed at safeguarding pupils by ensuring that all school vehicles were mechanically sound and met safety standards. He said the checks focused on key systems, including steering, tyres, body condition, engines, brakes, seat belts and seating.

“In total, 201 school vehicles were inspected. Of these, 180 were found to be in good operating condition, while 21 had various mechanical defects and were therefore barred from operating,” Mr Maigwa said.

He added that owners and drivers of the defective vehicles have been instructed to repair them and present them for re-inspection before they can be allowed back on the road. Mr Maigwa also said the Traffic Police in the region are continuing with routine vehicle inspections using the Motor Vehicle Inspection Management Information System (MIMIS), alongside the electronic issuance of road safety stickers.

The inspections cover private vehicles, commercial vehicles, as well as two- and three-wheeled motorcycles. “Between October 13, 2025 and January 13, 2026, a total of 17,241 vehicles were inspected in the region.

Of these, 9,266 were private vehicles, 7,619 commercial vehicles, and 2,000 were two- and three-wheeled motorcycles,” he said. Police have urged vehicle owners to comply with legal requirements and ensure their vehicles remain roadworthy at all times in order to protect the lives of road users, particularly children who depend on school transport.

Speaking in Moshi town, residents commended the police for the exercise, saying it would help ensure the safety of students. Ms Rose John said the inspections were crucial and should be conducted regularly to curb the use of unroadworthy vehicles that transport pupils and contribute to preventable accidents.

“Vehicle inspections are very important. I urge the police to carry them out frequently to control defective vehicles that ferry students.

They should also conduct roadside checks in the mornings to monitor the number of pupils being carried, as some vehicles are overloaded,” she said. Another resident, Mr Enos Manja, said regular inspections of school vehicles were an appropriate measure to safeguard children.

“This is a timely step because it protects children’s safety. The inspections should be continuous and not limited to school opening periods, to ensure all vehicles carrying students remain safe at all times,” he said.

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Dar es Salaam. Recent political unrest in Iran and Tanzania has drawn attention to how governments confronted with instability frame moments of crisis, often using similar language to explain violence, protests and the response of state institutions.

While the two countries differ significantly in political structure, global influence and geopolitical positioning, statements from their leaders reveal parallel narratives centred on national security, sovereignty and the role of external actors in moments of internal tension. In Iran, the latest unrest followed a prolonged period of economic hardship that culminated in nationwide demonstrations late last year.

The protests, initially driven by frustration over soaring inflation and a rapidly collapsing currency, quickly escalated into violent confrontations in several cities. Iranian authorities say the situation has since been stabilised, but the political, diplomatic and security implications continue to reverberate both domestically and internationally.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Monday, January 12, 2026, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi described the unrest as part of what he termed a “terrorist war” directed against the Islamic Republic. Speaking after 16 consecutive days of demonstrations, he said the protests were deliberately turned violent through the involvement of foreign actors, accusing the United States and Israel of orchestrating destabilising actions inside Iran, saying “what we witnessed was not a normal protest movement.

These demonstrations were deliberately turned violent and bloody by outside forces and terrorist groups with a clear agenda,” Mr Araghchi said. According to the Iranian Foreign Minister, the violence that accompanied the protests was not an organic development of public demonstrations but the result of external interference aimed at weakening the Iranian state and creating conditions that could justify foreign military intervention, noting that “we have extensive and documented evidence showing the role of foreign intelligence services and terrorist networks in directing acts of sabotage, arson and organised violence.

Their objective was to destabilise the country and pave the way for foreign intervention,” he said. The Iranian Foreign Minister’s remarks came amid heightened international tension, including reports of U.

S. strikes on Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities in 2025 and continued Western pressure over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Iran’s economic crisis has also formed a critical backdrop to the unrest, with inflation reaching extreme levels and the Iranian rial falling to historic lows of about 1.4 million to the US dollar, severely eroding purchasing power and living standards.

Despite reports from human rights organisations estimating that more than 500 people were killed during the unrest, Mr Araghchi told foreign diplomats in Tehran that the situation had come under control, saying “the situation is now fully under control. State institutions have restored order after a period of intense unrest, and stability has returned,” he said.

Addressing regional and international security concerns, the Iranian Foreign Minister responded to recent threats from U.S.

President Donald Trump by saying Iran does not seek war but is fully prepared to defend itself if necessary, insisting that “we do not want war, but Iran today has large and extensive military preparedness, and we are ready for all options,” Mr Araghchi said. At the same time, he signalled that diplomatic engagement was not entirely off the table, confirming that communication channels with Washington remain open and stressing that “we are open to dialogue if it is fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect.

What we reject are negotiations based on unilateral dictation,” he said. In Tanzania, a similar narrative has been presented by the country’s leadership following unrest that erupted on October 29, 2025, and the violent incidents that followed.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has said the events were not spontaneous but the result of a carefully organised political scheme designed to destabilise the country. Speaking to the Dar es Salaam Region Council of Elders at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre on December 2, 2025, President Samia said intelligence assessments and investigations had pointed to a coordinated plot involving planners, financiers and individuals mobilised on the ground.

“What took place was a manufactured event, and those who planned it were determined to overthrow our government,” she said, adding that some participants were misled while others were enticed or paid to take part. The unrest coincided with election day and involved attacks on government development projects, police infrastructure and private businesses.

President Hassan said such actions could not be equated with lawful demonstrations, which she described as peaceful, orderly and conducted within the framework of the law. “In a lawful demonstration, people march peacefully with grievances, escorted by police, and disperse after delivering their message,” she said.

“What happened instead were organised riots for a specific purpose.” She defended the actions of security forces, arguing that the state had a constitutional duty to protect citizens, property and national stability.

Responding to criticism that authorities had used excessive force, she questioned what alternative response would have been appropriate in the face of what she described as an attempt to overthrow the government. “We swore to protect this country, its borders, its people and their property,” President Hassan said.

“So when some say we used excessive force, what lesser force was expected? Should we have simply watched as those plotting an overthrow succeeded?” President Hassan also raised concerns about foreign interference, saying some external actors had been unsettled by Tanzania’s stability and progress. She accused unnamed outsiders of seeking to undermine the country after failing in their own societies and criticised what she described as lingering colonial attitudes.

“Who are you?” she asked. “Some think they are our masters, our colonisers.

That is unacceptable.” She linked external interest in Tanzania to the country’s natural wealth, including rare minerals, saying such resources had made the nation a target.

Calling for unity, she urged Tanzanians to safeguard peace and national dignity. “It should not become a curse that we fight and kill each other,” she said.

“Tanzania belongs to all of us, and we must protect it.” Addressing concerns raised by young people over the cost of living, President Hassan acknowledged the challenges but argued that economic hardship was a global issue.

“If I could, I would send Tanzanian youths to different countries–even within Africa and neighbouring states–to see what true hardship looks like, and then claim that Tanzania is a bad place,” she said. Political analysts say the similarities in how Iran and Tanzania have framed unrest reflect a broader pattern in global politics, where governments emphasise security, sovereignty and intelligence assessments when confronting instability.

A political analyst from the State University of Zanzibar, Prof Makame Ali Ussi, said states facing unrest often rely on security narratives to explain violence and justify firm responses. “In many cases, governments interpret large-scale unrest through a security lens, particularly when there is destruction of public infrastructure and threats to constitutional order,” he said.

“This does not necessarily mean grievances do not exist, but it shows how leaders prioritise stability.” For his part, a political analyst from the University of Dodoma, Dr Paul Loisulie, said the two cases highlight how narratives of foreign interference resonate strongly in both domestic and international politics.

“Claims of external involvement are not unusual, especially in strategic or resource-rich countries,” he said. “However, long-term stability also depends on addressing internal economic and social concerns alongside security measures.

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Johannesburg. The South African rand was lifted by record high gold prices in early trade on Wednesday, while global markets continued to assess key US inflation indicators which could offer more clues on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate trajectory.

At 0805 GMT the rand traded at 16.3525 against the dollar , up roughly 0.2% on Tuesday’s close.

The US dollar last traded flat against a basket of currencies as traders analysed softer-than-expected US inflation readings while awaiting core Producer Price Index data for December due later in the day. “The Fed is widely expected to pause on any further interest rate hikes, despite pressure from Trump to lower rates,” said Andre Cilliers, currency strategist at TreasuryONE.

He added that the rand would remain in a tight range, as it takes cues from global developments such as the unrest in Iran, concerns over the Fed’s independence and a potential extension of the US trade preference programme, the African Growth and Opportunity Act. On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Top-40 index (.

JTOPI), opens new tab was last up 0.4% in early trade.

South Africa’s benchmark 2035 government bond also gained, with the yield falling 3 basis points to 8.28%.

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Kapalamsenga, a ward in Tanganyika District, Katavi Region, is not a place that waits for outside rescue. On a market morning you will see a blue cash box on a veranda, a ledger on someone’s lap, and twenty or so neighbours counting out small notes.

They call their savings circle Tujitegemee, which means “let us rely on ourselves”. The loans are tiny and the rules are simple.

Pay in every week, borrow when your turn comes, and put the money into something that will not strip the nearby hills or deplete fish stocks in Lake Tanganyika. Lately, the most popular purchase is a small gas stove.

That choice seems domestic. It is actually ecological.

Each stove is a bundle of firewood left uncut in Kapalamsenga’s community forest, a quiet line of trees that ties village land to the riparian corridors that chimpanzees still use between Mahale and the wider landscape. This is what climate adaptation looks like when it is owned by citizens.

Lake Tanganyika is warmer, with its seasonal mixing less reliable, and near-shore productivity less predictable. When fishers have to work longer nights for smaller hauls, pressure shifts uphill.

Families look to woodlots for charcoal or to the forest for quick cash. Savings circles hold the line by giving people a lawful way to meet a sudden bill without raiding tomorrow’s trees.

The conservation benefit is not a slogan. It is time saved, smoke reduced, and a path that does not run through a protected gully.

On the water, the state has begun to meet that citizen effort with steadier enforcement. New patrol boats for Beach Management Units on Lake Tanganyika in Kigoma Region are not a luxury.

They are fairness made visible. Legal gear has a chance when everyone knows it will be checked.

Closed seasons and mesh sizes matter when the rules are seen to apply to all. When enforcement is consistent, a household that has borrowed for a stove or a set of beehives can stay the course because the market rewards legal work.

There is a broader lesson here for national policy. We often speak about biodiversity and food security as if they compete.

In Mahale, they are the same problem solved in two places. The lake feeds families when rules are credible.

The forest carries chimpanzees when people have everyday alternatives to cutting. The strongest tool for both is a village institution that moves a decision from abstraction to practice.

Save, borrow, repay, repeat. With each cycle, the social norm shifts a little further from wood smoke to clean flame, from snared meat to market fish, from bare stream banks to shaded crossings.

Partners matter, but only when they understand their place. Technical support, training in how to run a savings group, seed materials for trackers, and patient environmental teaching are useful precisely because they sit behind the community.

The Frankfurt Zoological Society has decades in Mahale. Its value is continuity.

When a ranger transfers or a council changes, the meetings still happen, the cash box still opens, the corridor still gets walked, and the map still holds a thin line where trees should stand. The credit for ideas and choices belongs in Kapalamsenga.

The role of a partner is to keep the scaffolding standing while people build. If we want proof that this model works, we should ask for it in the simplest form possible.

Each quarter, a one page note from the village can list households that switched to gas, loans issued and repaid, seedlings planted along streams, and incidents with wildlife that were resolved peacefully. Beach committees can record patrol days and seizures, and the trend in legal catch through the season.

Nothing here requires a consultant. It only requires a habit of telling the truth in public.

Jasper A. Kwayu is a communications strategist based in Dar es Salaam.

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By Katare Mbashiru Dodoma. Tanzanian teachers who believe their jobs are at risk because of rapid changes in the digital era may be misguided, the government has said.

The assurance follows the rollout of the National Digital Education Strategy 2024/252029/30 and its implementation guidelines, which outline measures aimed at enabling educators to retain their jobs while benefiting from advanced and simplified digital technologies. “The notion that teachers will be replaced by technology is wrong because, worldwide, teachers are irreplaceable,” said the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Permanent Secretary, Prof Caroline Nombo.

Prof Nombo was speaking in Dodoma on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, during a two-day dissemination workshop on the National Digital Education Strategy and its implementation guidelines, where she urged teachers from across the country to strengthen their capacities in digital technology and artificial intelligence to enhance their teaching competencies. She said the strategy seeks to deliver significant gains in training, research, and innovation in the country’s education sector, noting that it applies to all schools, teachers’ colleges (TCs), technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, and universities nationwide.

The strategy, Prof Nombo said, serves as a guide for all education levels while involving communities, investors, implementers, and key partners and beneficiaries in the sector. “It provides a snapshot of what is required for the integration of ICT in education to reduce the digital divide and improve curriculum delivery for better learning outcomes,” she said.

According to the strategy, monitoring, evaluation, and learning of ICT in education will be conducted at all education and training levels through various approaches, outlining milestones and key performance indicators under each strategic objective. Presenting the document at the dissemination workshop, renowned computer scientist, Dr Alcardo Barakabitze, said that by June 2030, at least 90 percent of all schools, TCs, TVET institutions, and universities will be connected to the national power grid, while 100 percent will have access to offline digital resources.

The strategy also projects that by June 2028, electricity will be extended to at least 80 percent of classrooms and laboratories in schools, TCs, TVET institutions, and universities. The document further indicates that by June 2030, at least 70 percent of learners are expected to access educational digital content, while at least 90 percent of schools, TCs, TVET institutions, and universities will be using e-libraries and digital content repositories.

Parents are also expected to benefit, as they will be able to assess their children’s academic performance digitally. By June 2030, at least 80 percent parental involvement in the assessment ecosystem is envisaged through collaborative online platforms and resources.

Earlier, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Prof Daniel Mushi, said the government had made adequate preparations before developing the strategy, noting that it meets current demands in the digital education era. .

Moshi. A resident of Karikacha Street in Rau Ward, Kilimanjaro Region, Michael Lambau, 18, is alleged to have committed suicide by hanging while in custody at Moshi Central Police Station, where he was being held.

The Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander, Mr Simon Maigwa, confirmed the incident on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Commander Maigwa said Lambau had been arrested earlier on the same day for assaulting and injuring his uncle, Mr Brian Felix, by beating him with the flat side of a machete. “The Kilimanjaro Regional Police Force is conducting investigations into the suicide of an individual identified as Michael Lambau, 18, a resident of Karikacha Street in Rau Ward, Moshi Municipality, who was a remand prisoner at Moshi Central Police Station, where he was being held on charges of assault causing bodily harm,” said Commander Maigwa.

He explained that the suspect was arrested on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, on allegations of assaulting his uncle, Mr Brian Felix, by beating him with the flat side of a machete. Commander Maigwa added that Lambau had earlier been accused of murdering his father on November 22, 2025, by stabbing him in the neck with a sharp object, before fleeing and later being arrested over the assault case.

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Record numbers of visitors ventured on safari tours and nature park visits in Kenya and Tanzania during the 2025 December holidays compared to past years, pointing to noticeable back-to-nature travel trend in the region. Furthermore, countries in southern and West Africa have also recorded increases.

East Africa is well known for its sprawling and luscious parks. However, tourism trends change, and at the moment, nature-based tourism is trending.

Official data from Kenya and Tanzania shows a surge in visitor numbers. “December performed slightly better than last year, especially in the second half of the month.

We saw stronger last-minute bookings and higher occupancy across key safari circuits, driven largely by renewed confidence in travel and better road and air connectivity,” Steve Orido, chief executive officer of AviAfrique Safaris and Tours, told bird. Orido said domestic travellers dominated festive safari bookings, followed by regional visitors from East Africa, while international tourists though fewer in number, booked earlier and opted for longer, more premium safari experiences.

The occurrences mirror recent data from Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) that shows more than 300,000 visitors entered Kenya’s national parks and wildlife reserves during the December 2025 holiday season. Of these, about 231,000 were Kenyan citizens and residents, while 82,500 were listed as international tourists.

Over the period, KWS ran a targeted seasonal incentive campaign dubbed, Jiachilie (a slang term meaning, ‘let yourself go’ or ‘chill out’) in the parks to encourage longer, deeper connection with nature and promote growth in domestic tourism numbers. The campaign, offered deals like a free 4th night for 3-night stays including group offers that allowed an extra adult or children to enter parks for free.

Larger groups with 25-seater buses qualified for free entry for two adults, and seven-seater vans or eight-seater Land Cruisers received a free adult pass. This made access cheaper for families and organised groups across terrestrial, marine and sanctuary parks.

“Travellers are more value-conscious than before. We’re seeing shorter trips, typically two to three nights, smaller group sizes, and a strong preference for flexible, mid-range packages,” explained Orido.

According to AviAfrique Safaris, family and friends travelling together are increasingly replacing large corporate or tour groups in the country. Kenya is targeting five million annual visitors by 2028. In Tanzania, government data points to higher-than-usual December traffic at Serengeti National Park, with estimated total visitor numbers ranging between 75,000 and 100,000 for the month.

Of these, a high of 70,000 is attributed to international visitors while between 25,000 to 40,000 being domestic visitors, driven by the long school holiday period. Lodges in the Serengeti also dangled offers to tourists including a free night stay, 50% discount for the duration of stay in private safari arrangement and bride or groom given a 50% of the standard accommodation rate for their whole honeymoon stay.

By mid-December, Serengeti had already logged about 491,000 visitors in the current season, with officials expecting numbers to exceed 500,000 by January 2026, boosted by Christmas and New Year travel and the start of the Great Wildebeest Calving Season, a major draw for global safari enthusiasts. During the season, which begins in southern Serengeti from mid-December and peaks in early 2026, an estimated 500,000 calves will be born.

Elsewhere on the continent, the trend is taking shape. In South Africa, the festive rush prompted authorities to tighten access controls at Kruger National Park, one of the continent’s most visited wildlife destinations.

The South African National Parks (SANParks) agency introduced stricter entry measures for day visitors to manage congestion and protect the visitor experience. (bird story agency) Under the new rules, daily gate quotas were strictly enforced, requiring visitors to book entry online in advance.

Once quotas are reached, only pre-booked guests were allowed into the park, with additional access dependent on departures. “Day visitors planning to visit the Kruger National Park during the festive season are reminded that gate quotas will be in place to prevent overcrowding,” SANParks said in a public notice issued last December, urging visitors to book online ahead of time.

Even the wild card holders were not exempt from pre-booking fees. Also in southern Africa, Namibia is riding the continent’s nature-based tourism boom.

The country’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism announced that a new conservation fee will be implemented on top of current entrance fees to support the management at parks as well as to improve infrastructure. The country is enjoying a rebound that began 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic affected its tourism sector.

Gambia, Uganda, Zambia have recorded increases in park visits towards the end of 2025. Various studies show that Africa has yet to maximize its full potential for nature-based tourism. Africa’s green spaces are economic assets that can generate revenue, employment, poverty alleviation, conservation funding and foster a greater sense of appreciation for biodiversity among nationals.

(bird story agency) .

Mara. When Joyce (not real name) reflects on the choice she made at 15, she describes it as the hardest and bravest decision of her life.

Facing imminent female genital mutilation (FGM) and a forced marriage, she chose to flee her home, defying family expectations and a deeply rooted tradition that had already dictated the fate of her elder sister. A member of the Kurya community, Joyce, now 24, ran away to avoid being cut.

She recounted her story to The Citizen during a recent visit to Butiama, Musoma Urban, Tarime and Serengeti districts in Mara Region. Speaking quietly but firmly, she said, “My parents were determined to subject me to FGM so that I could be married off.

It was also about the benefits they would gain from the marriage.” She described how preparations were already complete: invitations had been sent, clothes and shoes bought and guests informed.

She had even been given kitenge fabrics for the ceremony. “There was no discussion.

It was compulsory,” she said. Access to information What changed Joyce’s path was access to information.

While still at school, she attended awareness sessions by Hope for Girls and Women Tanzania, an organisation educating children and communities about the dangers of FGM and the rights of girls. “They used to come to our school and teach us about the health risks and lifelong effects of FGM.

That is how I understood the harm it causes. I knew I could not accept it,” she said.

With pressure mounting and preparations complete, Joyce decided to leave home and seek refuge at a safe house run by Hope for Girls and Women Tanzania. “I knew there would be consequences,” she recounts.

Those consequences were immediate and painful. Her younger sister was forced to undergo FGM in her place.

“When they realised I was gone, they said someone had to fill the gap. My younger sister was cut.

After that, she stopped going to school. She didn’t complete Standard Seven and was later married,” she recalls.

Joyce was taken to Mugumu Safe House, where she was welcomed by caregivers, including a woman she fondly calls Mama Rhobi. At the time, she was in Form One.

With support from the safe house, she continued her studies through Form Two in Mugumu, Serengeti District and later completed Form Four. Her determination paid off.

With sponsorship support, Joyce enrolled in college to study hotel management and hospitality. After graduating, she secured employment in the tourism sector and now works in Serengeti as a hospitality professional and tour guide.

“I escaped in 2017 when I was 15. Today I am working, independent and supporting myself,” she said. Joyce comes from a family of six girls, of whom only two, her elder sister and the younger sister, after she fled, underwent FGM.

The remaining sisters were spared, a change Joyce attributes to her journey and the lessons her parents have learned. “At first, my parents rejected me.

They said they could not live with a daughter who was not cut. But after I completed my higher education and got a job, things have changed,” she added.

With the support of safe house caregivers, Joyce later returned home to engage her parents in dialogue. Over time, attitudes shifted.

“We started educating them. They have now seen that FGM has no benefit.

When a girl is cut, she often loses interest in school and ends up married early, facing a very hard life,” she explained. Her younger sister’s experience remains a painful reminder.

“After she was cut, she refused to continue school and got married. Life has been very difficult for her.

” Joyce adds, “My parents have seen the difference between a daughter who ran away, studied and succeeded and another who was cut and struggled.” “Today, there is no longer pressure on the younger girls in the family.

One sister is in Form Two and currently living in a safe house after fleeing for fear of being cut. Others are still in primary school,” she added.

“My parents now say it should be a personal choice. Before, there was no debate; it was mandatory.

Now they understand,” she recalls. Joyce hopes her story will inspire other girls facing similar threats to speak out and seek help.

“I want other girls to know that it is possible to escape and succeed. FGM is not destiny.

Education and support can change everything,” she said. Courage and resilience Another survivor, Jamila (not real name), 25, shares a similar story of courage and resilience.

She resolved never to undergo FGM after witnessing its devastating effects on her two elder sisters. “By the time preparations were being made for me, I was completely determined that I would not go through it,” she said.

At the age of 12, Jamila sought help from her teacher. “I explained to my teacher what was happening.

She told me she would help, but advised me to return home for the moment,” she recalls. By then, all arrangements had been finalised.

Although her mother opposed FGM and understood its harm, she was unable to intervene, as other family members had made the decisions. A day before the scheduled ceremony, Jamila returned to her teacher.

“I told her everything had been finalised and that the next day I was expected to be cut, together with my cousin, as was customary.” Her teacher immediately intervened, instructing her not to go home that day.

She stayed with the teacher, who made several phone calls and arranged for help. “A vehicle was organised.

I was taken to the police and from there referred for protection. Eventually, I was taken to Hope for Girls,” recalls Jamila.

At the time, she was 12. In her family of three girls, two were cut, leaving Jamila as the only one who escaped. “After reporting the matter, the police ensured my safety before I was taken to Hope for Girls and Women in Tanzania, a safe house located in Serengeti, Mara Region,” she says.

Jamila’s life took a very different path. She went on to complete her O-Level and A-Level studies, achieving Division One and later earned a place at the University of Dar es Salaam, where she studied Arts and Law Enforcement, graduating in 2024. She has worked in legal-related fields, including volunteering with advocacy organisations, gaining exposure to justice and human rights issues.

Currently, she is involved in leadership and advocacy work, some of which is conducted online, focusing on empowerment and awareness. Her sisters, who were cut, remain at home: one is married and the other continues with her own life.

“Looking back, I know my life would have been very different had I not escaped FGM,” she says. She emphasises, “Parents must respect and protect the rights of girls.

Many harmful practices persist because girls are denied choices and opportunities. If a girl wants to be educated, she should be supported to learn and grow.

Girls have dreams, ambitions and potential. They deserve to be protected, empowered and given the chance to shape their own futures.

” “If there had been a safe house, I would not have been cut. I had nowhere to run and that is why it happened, even though I did not want to undergo FGM.

” Painful experience Those words reflect the painful childhood experience of Rhobi Samwelly, whose life was permanently altered by a harmful cultural practice she neither chose nor supported. When her parents decided it was time for her to be cut, she received no protection or support from her community, leaving her defenceless.

Years later, Rhobi realised that the absence of safe spaces for girls was one of the main reasons many are forced to undergo FGM, particularly during peak cutting seasons. Determined to prevent other girls from suffering, she took action.

In 2017, she founded Hope for Girls and Women in Tanzania, an organisation dedicated to protecting girls at risk of FGM and other for and of violence. Since its establishment, the organisation has rescued and protected 3,757 girls from being cut.

Between November and December 2025 alone, more than 200 girls were sheltered in safe houses, bringing the total number of girls protected to nearly 4,000. Rhobi says her personal experience continues to fuel her lifelong commitment to defending the rights of girls and women. Reliable rescue vehicle However, the work is not without challenges.

Speaking about the organisation’s difficulties, she said the most urgent need is a reliable rescue vehicle to enable rapid response when reports of girls at risk are received. “Once we receive information, we must act immediately by sending a vehicle to rescue the girls,” she said.

She added that providing food and clothing remains a major challenge, as many girls flee their homes with nothing and often come from marginalised families. Despite the obstacles, Rhobi remains resolute, saying that as long as FGM persists, safe houses will remain a lifeline for vulnerable girls.

Currently, she runs two safe houses in Serengeti and Butiama in Mara Region and she hopes to expand the initiative with a new centre in Tarime. .

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian motorists may see relief at the pump in 2026 as global oil markets forecast a shift toward oversupply and weaker crude prices.

Global market forecasts suggest that crude prices are likely to remain subdued in 2026, with analyst surveys pointing to Brent crude averaging in the low-to-mid $60s per barrel, with some forecasts indicating a possible slide into the $50s if oversupply intensifies. This comes amid rising production from major exporters and renewed output from nations such as Venezuela, which analysts say could add to global crude supplies.

Secretary General of the Tanzania Petrol Stations Operators Association (TAPSOA), Mr Tino Mmasi, said there is a strong reason to believe that fuel prices in Tanzania will moderate accordingly. “It is true prices will go down in the coming months of 2026 because we depend heavily on world prices,” Mr Mmasi said, noting that the strength of the Tanzanian shilling from late 2025 into 2026 has helped to lower the landed cost of imports.

He recalled that in the previous three to four months, local fuel prices declined significantly after the shilling gained against the dollar. According to Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (Ewura) cap prices of Wednesday, January 7, 2026, petrol delivered through the Dar es Salaam port is selling at Sh2,778 per litre in January, up from Sh2,749 in December.

Diesel dropped to Sh2,726 per litre from Sh2,779 while kerosene increased to Sh2,763 from Sh2,653. Mr Mmasi cautioned, however, that changes in the global crude prices do not translate instantly to local retail pump prices, because fuel is typically ordered two to three months in advance. Executive Director of the Tanzania Association of Oil Marketing Companies (Taomac), Mr Raphael Mgaya, echoed the outlook, saying the global oversupply narrative predated recent developments.

“Even before current global events, issues in Venezuela and other markets already pointed to a forecast of price declines to the $50s per barrel this year,” Mr Mgaya said. He explained that as Venezuela, previously under-producing, expands output under new conditions, the extra crude will increase global supply and exert downward pressure on prices.

Mr Mgaya predicted a prolonged period of price relief in the coming months if the oversupply persists. “Because Tanzania imports our oil and the global price takes a large share of the cost we pay, the more it goes down, the less pricey fuel becomes here,” he said.

For everyday motorists, lower global oil prices could mean a noticeable reduction in fuel expenditures, particularly for petrol and diesel. Transport operators, who have been battling high operating costs driven by fuel price volatility, stand to benefit most.

Cheaper fuel could also help moderate inflation, especially for goods and services that are sensitive to transport costs. Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Development Dr Donath Olomi said Tanzania’s heavy dependence on imported fuel continues to shape the cost structure of the entire economy.

“Tanzania imports large volumes of petroleum products, and this has a direct impact on the cost of almost everything,” he said. He explained that fuel is a core input not only in transport, but also in industrial production, agriculture, raw material processing and trade.

“If fuel prices decline, the relief will not be limited to transport costs. It will lower production expenses, ease farming operations, reduce the cost of raw materials and improve business efficiency across sectors,” Dr Olomi said.

He added that, in general, a sustained reduction in fuel prices can make a meaningful contribution to economic growth by improving profitability for firms, increasing disposable income for households and stimulating consumption. “Overall, you can say that a drop in fuel prices has the potential to significantly support economic expansion,” he said.

These views align with the latest assessment by the Bank of Tanzania. Following the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee on January 7, 2026, Governor of the Bank of Tanzania Emmanuel Tutuba said global crude oil prices had declined to between $62 and $65 per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2025, and are expected to remain within the same range in the subsequent quarter, driven by ample global supply and subdued demand.

“This trend will continue offering relief to Tanzania’s inflation, foreign currency demand, and exchange rate stability, as oil imports currently account for about 17 percent of goods imported,” the central bank governor wrote in the MPC statement. .