Category: The Citizen

Dar es Salaam. The much-anticipated Vodacom Tanzania Open Golf Championship 2025 officially tees off today at the prestigious Kilimanjaro Golf and Wildlife Estate (Kili Golf) in Arusha, bringing together top professional golfers and elite amateurs from Tanzania and across the region.

The event, now firmly established as one of East Africa’s premier golf competitions, will be contested in stroke play format over four days of action. Local and regional stars will battle for glory on the lush 18-hole championship course, renowned for its pristine fairways and stunning backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.

Tee-offs begin at 8am, with the opening groups featuring Tanzania’s promising amateurs Zacharia Edward and Likuli Juma, alongside Onesphory Gerald and Zambia’s Aaron Musonda. They will be joined by Kenya’s Joseph Karanja and Reece Shah, setting a competitive tone for the championship’s opening day.

Among the standout names in the amateur category is Isiaka Dunia, fresh from his Lina PG Tour victory in Morogoro. Dunia will be paired with Josphat Rono and Yuvraj Singh Rajput in the morning rounds.

Another player drawing attention is Madina Hussein, who will represent Tanzania in the women’s elite category, teeing off from the first hole at 8:20 am. The professional field is equally strong, led by Tanzania’s Ramadhani Yassini, Prosper Emmanuel, and leading lady golfer Angel Eaton.

They will face a stern test against regional heavyweights including Kenya’s Greg Snow, the defending champion, alongside Michael Karanga and John Lejirna–names synonymous with success on the East African circuit. Later in the day, some of the tournament’s most anticipated matchups will unfold.

At 11:40 am, Tanzania’s Fadhyl Nkya, buoyed by his recent triumph at the Lina PG Tour in Morogoro, will go head-to-head with Kenya’s rising star Njoroge Kibugu and seasoned player James Mathenge in what promises to be a thrilling contest. The draw also features several seasoned international professionals, including George Frisby and Tanzania’s Hassan Kadio, both expected to mount strong challenges.

The diversity of the field–mixing experienced pros with ambitious amateurs–ensures a competitive edge while providing a stage to spotlight the future of golf in the region. Speaking on the eve of the championship, Tanzania Golf Union (TGU) chairman Gilman Kasiga confirmed that all preparations had been finalized and players were ready to deliver an unforgettable tournament.

“All systems are in place, and the golfers are in high spirits,” said Kasiga. “This is not just a tournament; it is a celebration of the growth of golf in Tanzania and across East Africa.

” Also in the sponsorship is consulting firm HLB Tanzania among the key partners. Consulting firm HLB Tanzania is also among the key sponsors.

As a premier professional services firm, HLB Tanzania provides audit, tax, and advisory solutions tailored to today’s complex business environment. .

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s banking sector is enjoying record profits and strong balance sheets, but economists and private sector leaders are warning that excessive concentration in two institutions could undermine competition, stifle innovation and increase systemic risks.

According to Ernest and Young’s (EY) Tanzania Banking Sub-Sector report for 2024, the country hosts 81 institutions supervised by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), including 44 banking and 37 non-banking institutions. Among the 34 commercial banks, only two (CRDB and NMB) control nearly half of the market share by asset size.

The sector’s total assets rose 14.8 percent to Sh62.1 trillion in 2024. At group level, CRDB closed the year with assets of Sh16.7 trillion and NMB with Sh13.7 trillion, giving them a combined Sh30.4 trillion, or almost 50 percent of the market. Medium-sized banks saw their share shrink to 8.

6 percent, while regional and small lenders clung to just 0.6 percent.

EY’s country leader, Mr Joseph Sheffu, said this concentration reflected the strength of large players but warned it highlighted “the need for innovation and strategic support to bolster the competitiveness of smaller institutions.” For some observers, dominance by the top two banks provides stability.

For others, it risks turning the system into a duopoly with disproportionate influence over lending, deposits and innovation. Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) chief executive officer, Mr Raphael Maganga, said over-reliance on the two largest lenders was a concern.

“Yes, Tanzania risks becoming over-reliant on two big banks, and this will continue in the medium to long term,” he said, pointing to similar experiences in the region. He warned that concentration reduces private sector bargaining power, raises systemic risks, and constrains innovation.

“For TPSF and the broader private sector, it is crucial to advocate for financial sector diversification, fintech inclusion and alternative financing mechanisms,” he said. Mr Maganga urged expansion of venture capital, private equity, collective investment schemes and fintech platforms to complement traditional bank lending.

Uneven fortunes According to the report, the sector’s deposits stood at S1 trillion at the end of 2024 while after tax profit rose by 40.9 percent to close 2024 at Sh2.1 trillion. The level of non-performing loans stood at a historic low of 3.

2 percent. Medium-sized banks saw their share of assets fall from 13.4 percent in 2023 to 8.

6 percent in 2024, partly due to reclassifications such as Equity Bank Tanzania and Citibank Tanzania moving into the large-bank category, alongside a Sh1.3 trillion fall in deposits. Development economist Prof Abel Kinyondo of the University of Dar es Salaam described concentration as “both a shield and a vulnerability.

” Large banks can absorb shocks, he said, but if either CRDB or NMB stumbles, the entire economy feels the impact. For smaller lenders, the reverse is true.

“Bad debts eat directly into their thin profit margins,” Prof Kinyondo said. “They don’t have the buffer that CRDB or NMB enjoys.

” Finance lecturer Dr Tobias Swai added that concentration is also geographic. “Most large banks’ networks are in urban areas,” he said.

“Innovation tends to happen where infrastructure is strongest, while smaller banks follow too late.” He noted that mobile and agent banking are helping narrow the gap, but historical advantages–deep government links and payroll management for public servants–keep the two biggest players far ahead.

Dr Swai suggested regulatory reforms beyond entry capital requirements, such as performance thresholds requiring banks to achieve growth within five to ten years. “This would push smaller banks to scale faster, rather than stagnating,” he said.

Systemic pressures Banking analyst Mr Kelvin Mkwawa said the dominance of the top two banks is already reshaping the market. “Small banks are under liquidity pressure,” he noted.

“They struggle to attract deposits, limiting their ability to lend to SMEs, while the large banks effectively set the cost of credit.” He warned that even minor disruptions at a top-tier bank could have outsized effects.

“A small change in CRDB’s core system disrupted millions across the country. That is the systemic risk concentration creates.

” Mr Mkwawa suggested BoT should monitor loan-to-deposit ratios more closely and encourage collaboration among smaller banks to reach underserved populations. Incentives for SME lending and rural expansion could also help level the playing field.

The EY report reinforced these concerns, noting that large banks operate at far greater efficiency–with cost-to-income ratios of 35.7 percent compared to 67.4 percent for smaller institutions. Meanwhile, collective investment schemes such as UTT AMIS are growing rapidly, with a 44.9 percent compound annual growth rate between 2022 and 2024, compared to bank deposits’ 15.8 percent CAGR.

This suggests savers are beginning to diversify. Consolidation trend Recent mergers and acquisitions are also reshaping the landscape.

Access Bank Group’s takeover of BancABC Tanzania and the consolidation of Kilimanjaro and Tandahimba cooperative banks into the Cooperative Bank of Tanzania in 2024 further entrenched the dominance of major players. BoT has introduced reforms to strengthen resilience, including a shift to interest rate-based monetary policy, maintaining the central bank rate at 6 percent, and amendments to accommodate Islamic finance.

The loan-to-deposit ratio edged up to 92 percent, while return on average equity climbed to 23.6 percent. Still, experts warn that concentration could slow innovation and widen inequalities in a country targeting 6 percent GDP growth in 2025. Regional lessons Tanzania’s challenge is not unique.

In South Africa, the top five banks control around 90 percent of assets. In Nigeria, a handful of large lenders dominate despite dozens of licensed players.

Kenya, by contrast, maintains a more fragmented market, where mid-tier banks continue to play a meaningful role. For Tanzania, the lesson is clear: concentration may signal strength, but without diversification, it could also expose the economy to vulnerabilities.

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Dar es Salaam. Tanzanians in the diaspora investing in the stock market will soon be able to participate in tribunal proceedings without physically attending courtrooms, thanks to a new visual hearing system being rolled out by the Capital Markets Tribunal (CMT).

The digital platform, which is 90 percent complete and expected to be fully operational by December, will enable investors abroad to attend hearings remotely. The system is designed to cut travel costs and delays while keeping investors fully engaged in dispute resolution processes from anywhere in the world.

CMT Registrar Martin Kolikoli, told reporters during the Tribunal’s second anniversary yesterday that the initiative marks a milestone in modernising Tanzania’s judicial process for capital market-related issues. He said it would ultimately boost investor confidence and appetite in the stock market.

“The visual hearing system will enable access to justice regardless of location, which is especially beneficial for diaspora investors who previously faced challenges attending hearings physically,” he said. The platform, being developed by local ICT professionals under the supervision of the e-Government Agency (eGA), is designed to simplify case management, improve communication and increase efficiency within the capital markets judicial framework.

Once integrated with the High Court system, it will support real-time virtual hearings and allow more streamlined case handling. Mr Kolikoli also highlighted progress since the CMT was established two years ago, pointing to successes, challenges and future plans.

He said the Tribunal had strengthened the investment climate by providing a dedicated mechanism for resolving disputes in the capital markets. So far, the Tribunal has resolved several key cases and has partnered with regional counterparts in Kenya and Zambia to enhance its operational capacity through knowledge sharing and joint initiatives.

The launch of the visual hearing system is part of a wider government effort to harness digital tools to improve public service delivery. “For the CMT, it represents a shift towards a more inclusive and investor-friendly judicial environment, where technology helps break down barriers to justice,” Mr Kolikoli added.

Since its establishment, the Tribunal has handled numerous cases and conducted educational seminars reaching more than 850 stakeholders. It has also raised awareness among over 500,000 individuals through social media campaigns.

With preparations for the system’s rollout in progress, the CMT is confident the platform will contribute significantly to building a more robust and accessible legal framework for all stakeholders in Tanzania’s capital markets ecosystem. .

Arusha. The Tanzania High Court at the Songea Registry has sentenced three people to death by hanging after finding them guilty of murdering a bodaboda rider, Mr Fanyeni Adam.

Those convicted are Faraji Liyugana, Said Ponera, and Rashid Fussi, charged with the murder of the deceased, contrary to sections 196 and 197 of the Penal Code. Judge James Karayemaha delivered the verdict on September 29, 2025, a copy of which was later uploaded to the court’s website.

According to the judgment, the killing occurred on January 12, 2023, with the body abandoned in bushland near the Tanesco area in Namtumbo District, Ruvuma Region. After examining evidence from both prosecution and defence, Judge Karayemaha ruled all three were guilty of murder and sentenced them to death by hanging.

Evidence presented Key evidence included confessions by the second and third accused persons, who admitted involvement in the killing in collusion with the first accused. Court testimony revealed the deceased had been riding a motorcycle with registration MC 162 DPT, owned by Abbasy Gangisa, who entrusted it to witness number 12, Faraji Ngonyani, to operate for business and share profits.

Witness number 12 testified that he had given the motorcycle to Mr Fanyeni Adam (the deceased) for business in exchange for Sh10,000 daily payments. Witness number six said on January 12, 2023, the deceased visited his home with a friend, Mr Yasin Lika, saying they were going to a farm in the Tanesco area to collect a hoe, but did not return that night.

Searches began the next day. Efforts to locate him through witness number 12 proved fruitless until January 14, when witness number nine, Mr Mariju Mwenyeheri, found his body in bushland near his farm.

Police recovered the body with injuries. The motorcycle was missing, except for a mobile phone found at the scene.

Witness number two, SP Cathbet Mnogi, said police were informed of the accused’s identities, friends of Yasin, and the deceased. They later recovered the motorcycle at the home of the first accused, who lived with his fiancee, Ms Ziaba Saidi (witness number three).

Witness number three testified that the first accused told her the motorcycle belonged to a friend who owed him Sh300,000. The friend failed to repay, and the motorcycle was taken to recover the debt. Witness number two said the first accused admitted involvement and named the second and third accused as accomplices, adding they gave him the motorcycle after the killing to sell and share proceeds.

The first accused said his friend, Mr Yasin, asked him to keep the motorcycle on January 24, 2023, but he failed to return it before the police confiscated. He denied naming his coaccused and denied knowing them.

The second accused said he was arrested on January 15, informed of the murder charge, denied writing a confession, and denied knowing the others. The third accused said he was arrested on January 15 at home, informed of the charge, and denied knowing the other accused or writing a confession.

Judge’s ruling Judge Karayemaha said two issues remained: whether the death was unnatural and whether the accused committed it with malice. Evidence, including a medical examination showing a severe head injury, confirmed the death was unnatural.

Although no witness directly saw the accused kill the deceased, possession of the motorcycle after his death linked them to the crime. The judge noted confessions by the second accused, who said they planned to seize the motorcycle with Mr Yasin, Mr Rashid, and Mr Faraji, promising Sh1 million afterward.

They lured the rider to Tanesco, attacked him with a machete and sticks until he died, while Mr Yasin was watching. The third accused admitted waiting along the road to ambush the rider and later attacking him with a stick.

The judge said the confessions by the second and third accused, given voluntarily, were crucial. Weighing all the evidence, the court found all three guilty of murder and sentenced them to death by hanging.

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Arusha. Tanzania has lost the hosting rights for the 50th International Apicultural Congress (Apimondia 2027), which will now take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The global beekeeping event, originally scheduled for September 2025, 2027 in Arusha, was expected to draw over 7,000 delegates, boosting Tanzania’s apiculture industry and economy. The decision to relocate the congress has sparked widespread disappointment across Africa.

Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations, is a non-governmental organisation that promotes scientific, technical, social and economic progress in the beekeeping sector. Its biennial congresses bring together beekeepers, scientists, honey traders and policymakers from around the world.

Tanzania had secured hosting rights at the 2023 Congress in Chile, beating the UAE in the final bidding round. This would have been only the second time the event was held in Africa, after South Africa in 2001. However, in a statement shared on its social media platforms, Apimondia said the decision followed an inspection visit by its Executive Council to Tanzania, which found that the proposed facilities were inadequate for the expected number of participants.

“The congress will now be organized by the UAE Beekeepers’ Foundation,” Apimondia confirmed. Apimondia president Jeff Pettis said the 2023 Letter of Agreement with Tanzania required on-site verification by July 2025 to confirm that the venue would be completed and operational.

“After a thorough evaluation, it was concluded that Tanzania could not meet the objectives and the 2027 congress will be hosted by the UAE Beekeepers’ Foundation, the runner-up in the 2023 election,” Dr Pettis said. Apimondia Africa Regional Committee president David Mukomana lamented the outcome.

“It was a rare chance for Africa to host this major global event. Observers are questioning how the congress could shift from a lush, forested region in East Africa to the arid environment of the UAE,” he said.

The loss is particularly painful for Arusha, which successfully hosted Apimondia 2025 and had already prepared over two million beehives distributed to 120,000 youths in anticipation of the 2027 congress. The initiative, supported by the former Arusha mayor, Maximilian Iraghe and the Tanzania Forest Services (TFS), was designed to serve as training hubs and demonstration sites for visiting delegates.

Tanzania had hoped to use the congress to launch a youth-centred apiculture agenda and position itself as a global leader in sustainable beekeeping. With nearly 10 million honeybee colonies in its forests, the country is among Africa’s top producers.

It currently ranks 14th globally in beekeeping and second in Africa after Ethiopia. Official data show Tanzania produces about 35,000 tonnes of honey annually.

TFS manages over 20 protected bee reserves covering 39,444 hectares. TFS commissioner Dos Santos Silayo recently noted that Tanzania has around 9.

2 million bee colonies. If fully harnessed, he said, these could yield an estimated 135,000 tonnes of honey annually.

Each colony consists of a queen, hundreds of drones and up to 70,000 worker bees, along with eggs, larvae and pupae. “This relocation is a blow to our apiculture sector,” said a stakeholder in Arusha’s beekeeping industry, Mr Emmanuel Mgimwa.

“Hosting Apimondia 2027 would have underlined Tanzania’s prominence in the global beekeeping community and promoted the country as a prime investment destination. The government must follow up closely on such opportunities to protect our future prospects.

” Despite the setback, industry experts say Tanzania’s apiculture remains a vital economic frontier, particularly for rural youth. The sector not only supports livelihoods but also contributes to biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.

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The war in Gaza has been a catastrophe with few precedents in history. Sixty-five thousand lives lost.

Whole strip reduced to rubble. Israel spending over $60 billion while unleashing devastation that will scar its reputation for years.

For Palestinians, the lesson is brutal but clear: violence is not the answer here. For Israelis, the cost of total victory has been staggering.

Into this wreckage steps Donald Trump with a 20-point peace plan — bold, controversial, and, if implemented, transformative. Here are five takeaways that matter most: 1.

End of the war The plan’s sequencing is designed to stop the carnage immediately: “the war will immediately end” (Point 3), “all hostages will be returned” (4), and 250 Palestinian prisoners released (5). This is not just a ceasefire; it is an answer to the ‘day-after’ question of this war.

Life is better than death, and this plan offers both sides a chance to stop the bleeding and return to normality — whatever that means after such destruction. 2.

Deradicalisation of Gaza The plan envisions Gaza as a “deradicalised terror-free zone” (1). Hamas members who disarm are offered amnesty (6), while militant infrastructure is dismantled (13).

Crucially, point 18 calls for “an interfaith dialogue process, based on values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence.” This isn’t cosmetic.

Pew Research (2013) found 89 percent of Palestinians wanted Sharia as the law of the land, with 84 percent (of those who wanted Sharia) supporting stoning for adultery and 66 percent supporting death for apostasy. These numbers show the scale of the ideological challenge.

Deradicalisation means dismantling the culture of martyrdom and replacing it with civic education that promotes pluralism and tolerance. 3.

Governance reset The plan calls for Gaza to be run by a “temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” (9), overseen by an international Board of Peace chaired by Trump and including figures such as Tony Blair. With Hamas dismantled (13) and the Palestinian Authority reforming (19), the alternative is a dangerous vacuum that would invite chaos.

To prevent this, Trump’s plan proposes an international stabilisation force (ISF), with Indonesia already offering to contribute 20,000 troops to secure Gaza during the transition. Blair may be disliked, but his deep regional ties and ability to mobilise Gulf capital and Western donors make him ideal for this role.

This governance reset is the bridge between the collapse of Hamas and the emergence of a reformed Palestinian Authority. Without it, the rest of the plan will collapse.

4. A new prosperous Gaza The plan promises Gaza will be “redeveloped for the benefit of the people” (2), with immediate humanitarian aid (7) and a Trump-led economic development program (10).

A special economic zone with preferential trade access (11) and guarantees of free movement (Point 12) are designed to turn Gaza into a hub of opportunity. The vision is bold: turning Gaza into the Dubai on the Mediterranean.

Billions are already lined up the 2020 Trump Peace to Prosperity Plan had promised $50 billion over 10 years. The idea was ridiculed I think we will get it now.

5. Pathway to statehood The plan explicitly states “Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza” (16), and that “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” (19).

It also commits the U.S.

to “establish a dialogue to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence” (20). I have long argued that the two-state solution is impractical.

Yet if implemented, this plan ticks enough boxes — demilitarisation, governance reform, economic viability — to reimagine a two-state framework. And paradoxically, that may be a better path toward a durable one-state solution: a single polity where coexistence is not imposed by force but chosen through shared prosperity and mutual security.

Regional buy-in Critics of this plan abound. They question Israel’s intentions, the plan’s clarity, Tony Blair’s involvement, and the demand for Hamas to disarm.

But these are voices that find fault with every solution. What matters is that the plan has received broad international endorsement.

The joint statement from Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt signals that key Arab and Muslim states are ready to underwrite the framework. Their role is pivotal: ensuring compliance (14), deploying stabilisation forces (15), and financing reconstruction (10).

For Israel, this is an opening to normalise ties with the Arab world that is, the expansion of the Abraham Accords. For Palestinians, it’s a chance to rebuild on new foundations.

For the region, it’s an opportunity to transform Gaza from a symbol of perpetual war into a model of prosperity. Hamas’ final role But for this vision to take root, Hamas must now confront reality.

Their October 7 escapade into Israel has proven to be a total disaster. Now they face a final chance to act responsibly: accept the plan and dissolve.

History may yet remember them not only for the destruction it caused, but for the moment they chose to step aside–thus allowing a new Gaza to emerge.Anchored in life, not death.

Charles Makakala is a Technology and Management Consultant based in Dar es Salaam .

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Ladies Golf Union (TLGU) has officially named the national team that will represent the country at the prestigious East and Central All Africa Challenge Trophy (EACAACT), set for October 20 to 25 at the Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort in Kenya.

The team will depart Dar es Salaam for Kenya on October 19. TLGU president Queen Siraki expressed pride in the squad, describing it as a blend of seasoned experience and rising talent. “We are very proud to present this team that will carry Tanzania’s flag at the EACAACT in Kenya,” said Siraki.

“These players have shown tremendous commitment, discipline, and improvement in their game. We believe they have what it takes to compete strongly against some of the best golfers from the region.

” The EACAACT, held every two years, is one of the premier events on the regional golfing calendar. It attracts top female golfers from across East and Central Africa and provides a platform to showcase talent, build confidence, and strengthen ties among participating nations.

The team captain Neema Olomi, a regular feature in international competitions, is expected to anchor the squad with her leadership and experience. Vicky Elias and Khadija Suleiman will be looking to stamp their authority in regional play, while rising star Shufaa Twalib brings youthful energy and determination to the team.

Siraki said d that the team’s participation reflects Tanzania’s growing investment in women’s golf. “Golf is one of the fastest-growing sports among women in Tanzania, and events like the EACAACT give our players exposure, confidence, and international experience.

We are optimistic that this team will make the nation proud,” she added. The tournament will feature multiple rounds of competitive play, with golfers battling for both individual and team honours.

For Tanzania, it is more than just a competition, it is a chance to showcase the country’s progress in women’s golf and inspire the next generation of female players. .

Dar es Salaam. Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) has announced at least 173 job vacancies in a major hiring drive that reflects its endeavour to cement a stronger presence both in Africa and beyond.

The airline, which is fully owned by the government of Tanzania, is seeking to recruit new pilots, cabin crew and ground staff as part of its ongoing five-year Corporate Strategic Plan (2022/232026/27). The plan focuses on expanding routes and sustaining the operational gains recorded over the past decade.

According to the job announcement, the openings include 23 captain posts, 45 first officers, 100 cabin crew (including 20 with French and Chinese language proficiency), one accountant and four ramp assistants. Successful candidates will be engaged on a 10-year contract, with terms described as “attractive and competitive”.

The hiring spree comes at a time when ATCL is growing its international footprint. Already, the airline operates routes to Guangzhou in China, Mumbai in India and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, alongside a network of regional and domestic destinations.

The recent addition of Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A220-300s to its fleet has positioned the carrier to compete on long-haul routes while boosting passenger comfort. Aviation expert and former pilot Hassan Rweyemamu told The Citizen yesterday that the expansion strategy requires “a new generation of skilled workers” to sustain operations.

“When you buy aircraft and open new routes, the next logical step is building a workforce that can keep the airline competitive. This recruitment shows ATCL is serious about growth, not just at home but in connecting Tanzania with key global markets,” he said.

Why French and Chinese-speaking crew? Among the notable vacancies are positions for French- and Chinese-speaking cabin crew. Analysts say this reflects ATCL’s growing focus on linguistic and cultural diversity in customer service.

“French is vital for routes to West and Central Africa, where it is widely spoken, while Chinese is indispensable for Guangzhou, which has become a lifeline for Tanzanian traders and exporters,” explained Ms Aneth Luhanga, an aviation studies expert at the National Institute of Transport (NIT). “Passengers feel at ease when airlines communicate in their languages.

It’s not just a courtesy, it’s a business strategy that builds trust and loyalty,” she said. With over 170 opportunities, the recruitment drive also highlights ATCL’s role as a key employer in the aviation industry, which has historically struggled with limited absorption of graduates from local institutions.

A transport economist based in Mwanza, Mr Julius Katabale, said the announcement is a morale booster for young Tanzanians pursuing careers in aviation. “Many of our students graduate with world-class skills but face difficulties finding placements.

ATCL’s expansion creates room for them and ensures that institutes like NIT are not just training for export, but also for domestic growth,” he said. Mr Katabale added that the integration of accountants and ground staff in the recruitment shows that “aviation is not just about flying; it’s an ecosystem that provides opportunities across multiple disciplines.

” ATCL’s revival in recent years has been closely tied to the government’s investments in fleet acquisition and infrastructure, including the upgrading of airports across the country. Industry observers argue that beyond transport, the airline is also a flagbearer for Tanzania’s visibility abroad.

“As the national carrier grows, it markets Tanzania to the world,” said Mr Kabale. “Every ATCL plane that lands in a foreign capital is not just carrying passengers; it’s flying the national identity.

Expansion means more tourists, more investors and more recognition of Tanzania as a serious aviation player,” he said. With new jobs on the horizon and more routes expected to be announced, stakeholders see ATCL’s recruitment as a milestone in consolidating its place in the highly competitive airline industry.

For many aspiring aviators, the announcement signals the start of fresh opportunities in a sector often viewed as elite and out of reach. “Employment in aviation has a ripple effect,” Ms Luhanga of NIT noted.

“It uplifts not only individuals but also families and the wider economy.” As ATCL continues to spread its wings, the new hires are expected to be at the heart of the journey ensuring that Tanzania’s skies remain open, competitive and increasingly visible to the rest of the world.

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The U.S.

Supreme Court said on Wednesday it will hear arguments in January over Donald Trump’s attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, leaving her in the post for now and teeing up a major legal battle over the first-ever bid by a president to fire a Fed official as he challenges the central bank’s independence. The justices declined to immediately decide a Justice Department request to put on hold a judge’s order that temporarily blocked the Republican president from removing Cook, an appointee of Democratic former President Joe Biden.

The court deferred a resolution on that request until the justices have heard the arguments. In creating the Fed in 1913, Congress passed a law called the Federal Reserve Act that included provisions to shield the central bank from political interference, requiring governors to be removed by a president only “for cause,” though the law does not define the term nor establish procedures for removal.

The law has never been tested in court. Washington-based U.

S. District Judge Jia Cobb on September 9 ruled that Trump’s claims that Cook committed mortgage fraud before taking office, which Cook denies, likely were not sufficient grounds for removal under the Federal Reserve Act.

Cook, the first Black woman to serve as a Fed governor, sued Trump in August after the president announced he would remove her. Cook has said the claims made by Trump against her did not give the president the legal authority to remove her and were a pretext to fire her for her monetary policy stance.

The Supreme Court’s action on Wednesday “rightly allows Governor Cook to continue in her role on the Federal Reserve Board, and we look forward to further proceedings consistent with the court’s order,” Cook’s lawyers Abbe Lowell and Norm Eisen said in a statement. “President Trump lawfully removed Lisa Cook for cause from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

We look forward to ultimate victory after presenting our oral arguments before the Supreme Court in January,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said. The U.

S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a 2-1 ruling on September 15 denied the administration’s request to put Cobb’s order on hold.

The Supreme Court has in a series of decisions in recent months allowed Trump to remove members of various federal agencies that Congress had established as independent from direct presidential control despite similar job protections for those posts. Those decisions suggest that the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, may be ready to jettison a key 1935 precedent that preserved these protections in a case that involved the U.

S. Federal Trade Commission.

But in Cook’s case, the court opted to hear arguments first before deciding the Justice Department’s request to similarly remove Cook on a preliminary basis. The court already signaled that it could treat the Fed as distinct from other executive branch agencies, noting in May in a case involving Trump’s dismissal of two Democratic members of federal labor boards that the Fed “is a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity” with a singular historical tradition.

Based on the arguments in January, the court will decide whether Cook can stay in her post or must go while her legal challenge to her firing proceeds in lower courts. As it stands at this early stage of the case, the justices are not deciding the merits of her challenge.

The court did not set a specific date for the case, but it has arguments sessions on the books for two weeks in mid-January. Personnel Reshuffling Regardless of the outcome of Cook’s case, the January timing of the arguments is significant to the personnel reshuffling Trump appears to be pursuing at the Fed.

January is when regional Fed presidents are reappointed to new five-year terms by the Fed’s Board of Governors. If Trump wanted to push to oust some or even all of the regional bank presidents, he would need a willing majority on the Board of Governors in place to do it.

The timing also may make it more likely that new Governor Stephen Miran, a Trump appointee, returns to his job as chair of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers when his Fed term expires in January. With Cook still on the board, Miran’s seat would be needed for appointment of a new Fed chair to replace Jerome Powell when his term as Fed chief expires in May.

Powell’s appointment to the board extends to 2028, and as it stands there is no open seat for Trump to name a new Fed leader though he could name a sitting governor, including Governor Christopher Waller, Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman, or Miran himself, to the post. The Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments appears to leave Cook in place for the next two Fed policy meetings – in October and December – when it is widely expected to deliver another two quarter-point interest rate cuts.

Depending on the timing of the Supreme Court’s eventual action, Cook also could participate in the Fed’s January 27-28 policy meeting. Presidential powers Trump’s bid to fire Cook reflects the expansive view of presidential power he has asserted since returning to office in January.

So long as the president identifies a cause for removal, that is within his “unreviewable discretion,” the Justice Department said in its September 18 filing to the Supreme Court. “Put simply, the President may reasonably determine that interest rates paid by the American people should not be set by a Governor who appears to have lied about facts material to the interest rates she secured for herself – and refuses to explain the apparent misrepresentations,” the filing stated.

Granting Trump’s request, Cook’s lawyers told the Supreme Court on September 25, “would eviscerate the Federal Reserve’s longstanding independence, upend financial markets and create a blueprint for future presidents to direct monetary policy based on their political agendas and election calendars.” Cook took part in the Fed’s highly anticipated two-day meeting in Washington in September in which it decided to cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as policymakers responded to concerns about weakness in the job market.

Cook was among those voting in favor of the cut. Ripple effect Concerns about the Fed’s independence from the White House in setting monetary policy could have a ripple effect throughout the global economy.

The case has ramifications for the Fed’s ability to set interest rates without regard to the wishes of politicians, widely seen as critical to any central bank’s ability to function independently to carry out tasks such as keeping inflation under control. Since Trump returned to office, the Supreme Court has sided with his administration in almost every case it has been called upon to review, allowing his policies to proceed after they were impeded by lower courts, while litigation over them continues.

Trump on August 25 said he was removing Cook from the Fed’s Board of Governors, citing allegations that, prior to joining the central bank in 2022, she falsified records to obtain favorable terms on a mortgage. Her term was set to expire in 2038. The judge found that Trump’s attempt to remove Cook likely violated the Federal Reserve Act, which allows a Fed governor to be removed only for misconduct while in office, as well as Cook’s due process rights under the U.

S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment.

The mortgage fraud claims against Cook relate to actions prior to her Senate confirmation in 2022. .

Dar es Salaam. East African music is turning heads on the global stage.

Tanzanian stars AY, Harmonize, and Fid Q have reached a major milestone as their songs have been approved for consideration for the 68th GRAMMY Awards, marking a historic moment for Bongo Flava and Swahililanguage music worldwide. Announcing the news on social media with excitement on Thursday, October 2, 2025, Ambwene Yesaya, famously known as AY, posted: “OFFICIALLY! Grammy has approved two of my entries for nomination consideration.

This is huge, not just for me and Harmonize, but for Bongo Flava and the entire industry. These projects have no global producers or artistes, pure Bongo and neighbouring countries.

” He thanked key collaborators and industry supporters, urging fans to continue showing support as the songs move towards official nominations. “For now, a win is a win.

Now it’s up to your prayers and support, it’s a victory for all of us!” he added. The two AY tracks under consideration are Simuoni featuring Harmonize and Wanganeka featuring Kanjiba.

Similarly, Fid Q expressed his excitement about his song Glory 2, featuring Damian Soul and Jose Chameleone. He wrote: “I’m proud to share that our song ‘GLORY 2’ featuring @damiansoulmusic and @jchameleon has officially been approved and considered for the 68th GRAMMY Awards @recordingacademy.

This isn’t just my win, it’s OURS. From TZ to UG to the world, we’re making history together!” Farid Kubanda, alias Fid Q, also thanked collaborators and God, emphasising the collective effort behind the achievement.

This milestone highlights the global reach of East African music and the growing influence of Bongo Flava beyond the continent. It shows that music produced locally, in Swahili and neighbouring languages, can compete internationally while staying authentic to its roots.

Fans and industry peers alike are celebrating, viewing these approvals as a sign that the region’s voices, rhythms, and stories are finally gaining recognition worldwide .