Category: The Citizen

Arusha. The Drugs Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) Northern Zone has intensified its fight against drug abuse by expanding awareness campaigns to public institutions, strengthening operations in entertainment venues, and enhancing cooperation with key stakeholders.

The move follows revelations that some public servants are among those involved in drug abuse.

It comes after DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo recently said investigations had established that some government employees in Arusha were using drugs, particularly in entertainment venues, including VIP sections of leisure spots.

Speaking to The Citizen’s sister newspaper, Mwananchi, on Sunday, July 12, 2026, DCEA Northern Zone officer Abdulatif Saidy said the authority had stepped up awareness campaigns targeting public servants while continuing night operations in areas identified as hotspots for cannabis and khat consumption.

He said DCEA had started conducting seminars and awareness sessions in government institutions and departments to educate employees on the effects of drug abuse on their health, families, and work performance.

“We have seen the need to shift more focus to government institutions by providing education to public servants. We want them to understand the effects of drugs and avoid them before they destroy their lives and performance at work,” said Mr Saidy.

He said the campaign was not new, noting that last year DCEA educated more than 1,500 public servants during a professional meeting before expanding the programme to reach more employees.

Mr Saidy said the authority had also engaged owners of popular entertainment venues in Arusha City, educating them on how drugs are distributed and consumed, as well as their legal responsibilities in preventing such activities.

He said owners had been instructed to display notices prohibiting drug use, cooperate with law enforcement agencies, report suspects, and prevent the sale or consumption of drugs on their premises.

However, he said some users remained a challenge, with some defying instructions and causing disturbances when stopped from using drugs.

“We did not want to begin by using force. First, we educated entertainment venue owners, then we started operations. We found some people using cannabis and khat, and legal action was taken against them,” he said.

According to Mr Saidy, between July 2025 and June 2026, DCEA’s Northern Zone conducted 227 operations, resulting in the arrest of 550 suspects, including 442 men and 108 women.

During the operations, authorities seized 5,417.26 kilogrammes of khat, 3,010.30 kilogrammes of cannabis, and 14 grammes of heroin in Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Tanga and Manyara regions.

In Arusha Region alone, he said 121 operations were conducted, leading to the arrest of 413 suspects, including 338 men and 75 women. Authorities also seized 1,458.26 kilogrammes of khat and 2,977.03 kilogrammes of cannabis.

Saidy said cannabis and khat remained the most commonly abused drugs in the region, adding that DCEA would continue conducting operations while encouraging people struggling with addiction to seek treatment at specialised rehabilitation centres.

Beyond enforcement operations, he said the authority had started using artists, music festivals, and sports bonanzas to reach communities, particularly young people, and raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.

He urged young people to avoid groups that encourage drug use and instead help educate their peers, while calling on public servants to uphold professional ethics and avoid actions that could jeopardise their careers.

Arusha District Commissioner Joseph Mkude said the district would continue working with DCEA through inspections of entertainment venues, public education campaigns, and investigations into reported cases of drug use.

“We will provide all the support needed to DCEA. There will be no mercy for anyone found allowing or participating in the sale and use of drugs. Our goal is to protect young people and ensure the community remains safe,” said Mr Mkude.

As global investors continue searching for high-growth markets, East Africa is increasingly attracting attention as one of the continent’s most promising investment destinations.

The region is home to Africa’s leading economic bloc, and poised to cement its status beyond the continent. As economic integration continues to hold, East Africa is uniquely positioned to take a leading step in global trade and geopolitical affairs.

Prateek Suri, Chairman of Maser Group and CEO of MDR Investments, the East African Community (EAC) has observed on numerous occasions that the EAC is rapidly establishing itself as a key driver of Africa’s economic transformation.

As he invests in Tanzania and beyond, he sees many untapped opportunities and room for partnership with the Mainland and Zanzibar governments on a Publi-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The EAC, which includes Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia, not only represents the fastest-growing regional bloc on the continent, but also the most stable.

While each country presents unique opportunities and challenges, the region’s expansion and continued deepened integration is creating a compelling case for long-term investors.

Global investors such as Suri, who have spent years building businesses across Africa and the Middle East, believe that many international investors continue to underestimate the pace of change taking place within East Africa.

‘Investors often focus on short-term economic data and overlook the larger structural trends that are reshaping the region,’ Suri says. ‘What is happening in East Africa today is not simply growth within individual countries, but the emergence of an increasingly connected regional economy.’

One of the strongest advantages of the EAC is its commitment to regional cooperation. Improved trade agreements, expanding transport corridors, and cross-border infrastructure projects are making it easier for businesses to operate across multiple markets.

This growing integration is creating larger addressable markets and improving the economics of long-term investment.

Demographics also play a significant role in the region’s attractiveness.

East Africa is home to one of the world’s youngest populations, with urban centres such as Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Kigali, and Kampala continuing to expand rapidly. Growing populations and rising incomes are driving demand for housing, healthcare, education, consumer goods, logistics services, and digital infrastructure.

The bloc has one of the largest workforce in the world. This number of employable youth is set to increase and by the year 2050, this workforce will be replicated across the continent and not just East Africa.

It is believed that infrastructure development will remain one of the most important investment themes across the region over the coming decade.

‘Roads, ports, industrial parks, logistics hubs, energy infrastructure, and digital connectivity are all areas where demand continues to exceed supply,’ Suri notes. ‘These are sectors that create long-term value while supporting broader economic development.’

Currently, Tanzania is on the verge of completing the construction of its Msalato International Airport in the capital city, Dodoma – adding to the growing number of international airports in the country.

Kenya has secured financing for the expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, which remains the region’s busiest airport and an important travel hub in Africa. Uganda will also soon start the construction of a new Airport in Mbarara, at the same time, Rwanda is also building an ultra-modern Airport in Kigali. All these mega projects point to one thing: East Africa is ready to become the world’s trade and logistical hub.

Technology is another area where East Africa has demonstrated remarkable progress. Kenya’s success in digital payments and financial technology has become a model for innovation across the continent, while neighbouring countries are increasingly embracing digital transformation initiatives.

Beyond technology, sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, logistics, renewable energy, mining, and data infrastructure continue to attract investor interest.

For global investors, East Africa represents a strategic long-term opportunity rather than a short-term trade. With such conducive environments that are being prepared, return on investment is almost assured as the private sector continues to work closely with government stakeholders on addressing policy gaps.

According to Suri, the combination of demographic expansion, infrastructure investment, entrepreneurial talent, and regional integration positions the EAC as one of the most attractive growth regions in Africa.

While challenges remain, he argues that successful investors are often those who focus on long-term fundamentals rather than short-term volatility.

‘The East African Community is becoming far more than a regional trading bloc,’ Suri says. ‘It is increasingly emerging as one of Africa’s most important economic growth engines.’

As international capital continues seeking new frontiers, East Africa’s combination of scale, ambition, and economic momentum may prove difficult for investors to ignore.

Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor best known for playing paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in dinosaur blockbuster “Jurassic Park” and whose career included more than 50 movies, has died at the age of 78.

A post shared on social media by his family said Neill’s death in Sydney “was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.” In April, Neill announced he was cancer free after a public battle with blood cancer.

Described by critics as “versatile” and “reliably excellent”, Neill landed starring roles across many genres, ranging from a submarine officer in the 1990 action-thriller “The Hunt for Red October” to the anti-Christ in 1981’s Omen III.

He also played countless anguished husbands, including opposite Holly Hunter in the Oscar-winning “The Piano” (1993) and opposite Meryl Streep in 1988’s “Evil Angels”, also known as “A Cry in the Dark”.

Born in Omagh, a town in Northern Ireland, Nigel John Dermot Neill moved to New Zealand when he was seven as his father, a New Zealander, retired from the army and wanted to ?return home.

At the age of 11, he changed his name to Sam. In his 2023 memoir “Did I ever tell you this?” he wrote that “to land in a primary school with a plum in the voice and Nigel for a name was asking for trouble.”

Sam was “easy to say, sounds friendly, sounds a bit blokey and has a touch of Labrador about it,” he wrote.

Neill described himself as a wonky, nerdy, unsporty, stuttering boy, but it was at school that he took his first tentative steps towards acting, earning minor roles in school plays including a bridesmaid in The Pirates of Penzance. “I liked getting a laugh,” he wrote in the book.

Neill’s big break came with the low-budget New Zealand film “Sleeping Dogs” (1977), garnering him sufficient attention to be offered roles in bigger-budget films in neighbouring Australia.

But even as his fame grew, he continued to return to New Zealand to work. At home, he was perhaps most adored for his role as the curmudgeon Hector in ?the low-budget “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (2016) directed by Taika Waititi.

He missed out on a chance for mega-stardom in the mid-1980s when he did a screen-test for the role of James Bond, but said his heart wasn’t in it and during his daylong audition he’d felt awkward.

“You never want to be the Bond that no one likes – that’s a fate worse than death,” he once told an Australian breakfast show.

Neill was nominated for three Golden Globe awards and two Primetime Emmys. He won three Australian television awards including one in 2025 ?for The Twelve.

In 2022, he accepted a knighthood for outstanding contribution to film after years of turning down the honour. He said he only accepted it because it was vital that all the arts were recognised.

“Acting might look easy, but it’s actually very hard. In fact, if it looks like it’s easy, it means that the actor is doing something ?very hard, very well,” he said of his job.

The actor, who was married and divorced twice, spent much of his later years in Australia and at his vineyard in New Zealand’s Central Otago.

Earning plaudits for his wine, Neill started releasing Pinot Noir on land he owned in central Otago under the label “Two Paddocks” ?in 1997, a process he described as both enthralling and labour-intensive.

He often entertained fans by posting pictures of animals on his farm, many named after his celebrity pals including a hen called Laura Dern and a bull called Graham Norton. Recently, he has publicly opposed plans for a new mine in the area.

He is survived by two sons and two daughters.

Former Chief Secretary and veteran diplomat Ambassador Ombeni Sefue has called for a civilised approach to public rallies and political expression, warning Tanzanians against blindly copying foreign protest cultures that often result in destruction of property and loss of lives.

In a recent wide-ranging interview with a Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) panel, the former head of the civil service also reflected on modern parenting challenges and the characteristics of Generation Z (Gen Z).

Tanzania will be represented by a 12-member team at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, with athletics providing the largest contingent as the country seeks a strong showing at one of the world’s biggest multi-sport events.

The Citizen has established that the squad comprises six athletes, three amateur boxers, two judokas and one swimmer, Collins Saliboko, who is currently training in South Africa under renowned swimming coach Kanisi Mabena.

The athletics team includes three women and three men. Cecilia Panga will compete in the women’s 5,000m and 10,000m races, while Hamida Nassoro has been entered for the 1,500m and 5,000m events. Sprinter Winfrida Makenji will represent Tanzania in the 100m and 200m.

The men’s athletics squad features Daniel Sinda in the mile race, Benjamin Fernandi Ratsim in the 10,000m, and Josephat Gisemo, who will contest both the 5,000m and 10,000m races. The runners are currently in residential training camp in Arusha under coach Marceline Gwandu as they fine-tune preparations ahead of departure.

Despite missing some of the country’s biggest names, Tanzania Athletics believes the selected runners will benefit significantly from competing against elite athletes from across the Commonwealth, providing valuable international exposure and experience.

In boxing, Tanzania will be represented by Yusuf Changarawe in the 80kg division, Fai Issa Faki in the 55kg category and Zawadi Amos Kutaka, who will compete in the women’s 57kg featherweight division.

The boxers are training in Dar es Salaam under head coach Samwel ‘Batman’ Kapungu, assisted by Kassim Hussein Kassim. The judo team consists of Andrew Thomas Mlugu, who will compete in the men’s 81kg category, and Ibrahim Mohamed Hamis in the men’s 60kg division.

The judokas are currently in camp at Ukonga, Dar es Salaam, under coach Omari Mgoye. The national contingent is scheduled to leave Tanzania on July 20, giving the athletes three days to settle in Scotland before the opening ceremony.

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from July 23 to August 2, bringing together an expected 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth teams. A total of 215 medal events will be contested across 10 sports, reflecting a streamlined programme compared with previous editions.

The opening ceremony will be held at The Hydro, one of Glasgow’s landmark indoor arenas, while athletics competitions will take place at Scotstoun Stadium. Road events, including the marathon, have been removed from the Games programme.

For Tanzania, the Glasgow Games present another opportunity to measure its emerging talent against some of the Commonwealth’s finest athletes. Officials are hopeful the experience gained in Scotland will strengthen the country’s competitiveness in athletics, boxing, judo and swimming while laying a solid foundation for future international competitions.

The European Union will table legislation after the summer aimed at limiting children’s access to social media, as the bloc steps up efforts to protect young users from the harmful effects of online platforms.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the plan on Monday, saying children should have the opportunity to develop away from the influence of algorithms that increasingly shape online behaviour.

She said the proposal would introduce stronger safeguards for minors, with age verification expected to form a key part of the new rules.

“Our children need time in the real world. Time to play, time to build friendships, time to make mistakes and shape their own identity before an algorithm shapes them instead,” Ms von der Leyen said.

The proposal comes amid growing concern across Europe over the impact of social media on children’s mental health.

Several EU member states, including France, Greece and Denmark, have called for stricter age limits, while regulators are increasing pressure on technology companies to redesign features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, which they say encourage excessive use among young people.

Although the Commission has yet to publish the draft legislation, the proposal is expected to complement the EU’s Digital Services Act, which already requires major online platforms to assess and reduce risks to children.

If approved, the measures would mark one of the bloc’s most significant interventions yet to strengthen online safety for minors.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged public institutions to exercise restraint in naming government programmes and projects after her, saying excessive use of her name risks becoming repetitive and diminishing its significance.

The President noted the growing trend of attaching the name “Mama Samia” to various initiatives across different sectors.

She noted that the legal sector already has the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign, while the education sector runs the Mama Samia Scholarship programme. Samia said proposals to establish a legal Centre of Excellence and a training programme bearing her name would create unnecessary duplication. She advised the institution to identify a distinguished legal scholar or jurist and name it after that person.

Samia recalled attending a comedy show in Dar es Salaam, where one of the organisers and performers joked about adding her name to an event to guarantee its success.

“He said once you attach ‘Mama Samia’ to anything, it will succeed…If the intention is simply to ensure things move forward, I can assure you that government programmes will continue to progress. However, when ‘Mama Samia’ appears everywhere, it becomes excessive and loses its appeal,” Samia said.

Tanzania’s plan to host a Canadian-backed plant that would convert natural gas into diesel and jet fuel is now waiting for assurance of gas supply before moving ahead to construction, after the investors completed some key stages.

Canadian company Rocky Mountain GTL, in collaboration with its African partner, Memnon Africa, and local associate, Rithi Tanzania Group Limited, completed a feasibility study with the Tanzanian government for constructing a gas-to-liquid (GTL) plant.

Tanzanian photographer Filbert Minja has won international recognition after receiving a prestigious award at the Earth Photo 2026 competition in London for a photo documentary on the country’s indigenous herbal medicine traditions.

Mr Minja won the David Wolf Kaye Future Potential Award – Photography for his project, Roots of Healing, which documents the lives of traditional herbalists in the Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions and the knowledge they have passed down through generations.

Minerals worth Sh3.3 billion were seized while being smuggled in 55 incidents recorded in various parts of the country between July 2025 and March 2026, while minerals valued at Sh1.6 billion were confiscated in Kagera Region between June and July 2026.

The figures were revealed on Monday, July 13, 2026, by Deputy Minister for Minerals, Dr Steven Kiruswa, during his visit to Kagera Region to issue the government’s position on recent incidents involving the smuggling of gold and gemstones seized in the area.

Giving details on mineral smuggling cases, Dr Kiruswa said minerals worth Sh3.3 billion were intercepted during smuggling attempts in 55 incidents across the country between July 2025 and March 2026.

Speaking about minerals seized in Kagera, he said that on June 29, 2026, an operation was conducted in Benako, Ngara District, where police discovered and seized 20 sacks containing gemstones weighing 627.2 kilogrammes, valued at Sh10.9 million, with government taxes amounting to Sh1 million.

“There were four suspects. One of them, Petro Michael Kihiga, had a broker’s licence number DL0266LMD, which he obtained on May 25, 2026, in Lindi Region, and had been granted a permit to transport 273 grammes of minerals, while the actual weight seized was 627.2 kilogrammes. Under the Mining (Settlement of Offences) Regulations of 2022, the suspect admitted the offence and paid a fine,” said Dr Kiruswa.

He added that on July 1, 2026, officers arrested another suspect who was travelling in an international transit (IT) vehicle with gold weighing 4,434.66 grammes, valued at Sh1.3 billion, with government taxes amounting to Sh125.8 million, in Benako near the border crossing into Rwanda.

“At the same time, on July 4, 2026, an associate of a gold smuggling suspect was arrested with 453 grammes of gold valued at Sh144.2 million, with government taxes amounting to Sh12.6 million,” added Dr Kiruswa.

The gold smuggling suspects have been taken to court, and their case is at the mention stage.

Due to ongoing investigations, their names and the courts where they appeared have not been disclosed.

A resident, Mr Christofa Laurian, told The Citizen’s sister newspaper, Mwananchi, that the arrest of mineral smugglers was a positive step, showing that the government was serious about protecting the country’s resources.

Another resident, Ms Alisia Rwezaura, said mineral smuggling contributes to the loss of government revenue, and suspects should face strict legal action once evidence is established to serve as a deterrent to others.