Category: The Citizen

Families concealing gender-based violence (GBV) information to shield relatives remain a key barrier to securing justice for victims, stakeholders warned, urging enhanced public education and community cooperation.

Speaking on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, during training organised by the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), Tomondo Ward Police Inspector Elias Mwinyi said local leaders, social welfare officers, and law enforcement require strengthened capacity to combat the vice.

He said although police gender and children’s desks, courts, and health facilities actively handle cases, investigation efforts are frequently undermined by family interference. However, he cautioned that some families instruct victims to give false statements when perpetrators are relatives, compromising police investigations and weakening court evidence.

“The family ought to be on the front line in assisting the victim to report accurate information. Concealing the truth because the suspect is a relative sabotages the entire process of justice,” added Inspector Mwinyi.

He highlighted that long distances to police stations and health centres in rural areas delay reporting and cause loss of critical forensic evidence, compounded by incomplete medical reports and witness absenteeism in court.

Echoing his sentiments, Rubeho Ward Community Development Officer, Ms Perpetua Nguyai, observed that out-of-court settlements between families distort facts presented to authorities.

Ms Nguyai noted that in cases involving teenage pregnancies, families often coach minors to conceal the identity of the responsible party.

“You find the child has already been instructed on what to say. She goes to the executive officer and police, but the narrative remains unchanged. Ultimately, locating the suspect becomes difficult,” she said.

TGNP facilitator, Mr Deogratus Temba, urged grassroots leaders to work closely with police, particularly in remote areas, to ensure perpetrators face legal accountability under the National Plan of Action to End Violence against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC II).

After lighting up Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, the Bongo Flava @30 celebrations are now heading to Dodoma, bringing the music, nostalgia and energy to Tanzania’s capital city.

The nationwide celebration marking three decades of Bongo Flava continues on August 22 at Chinangali Park, bringing together artistes and fans to celebrate the genre’s journey, influence and evolution.

The Dodoma edition is set to feature established names alongside contemporary voices, giving audiences a chance to revisit some of the sounds that have defined Bongo Flava while celebrating the artistes shaping its next chapter.

Among the female performers taking the stage is Tanzanian singer and actress Baby Madaha, who is set to bring her signature sound to the celebrations.

Madaha is expected to take audiences through her music, including her popular track ‘Amore’, which she has teased ahead of her Dodoma performance.

The artiste has also used social media to build anticipation for the show, inviting fans to get ready for Amore as she joins the 30th anniversary celebrations.

Her appearance adds a female voice to a milestone event celebrating a genre that has continued to evolve across generations.

From Dar es Salaam to Mwanza and now Dodoma, Bongo Flava @30 is taking the celebration beyond the genre’s traditional home, turning its 30th anniversary into a nationwide party.

For music lovers in the capital, August 22 promises an evening of live performances, familiar sounds and nostalgia – with Baby Madaha among the artistes ready to make the Dodoma stop one to remember.

Tanzania has made significant progress in improving fiscal transparency, according to a new United States assessment, as the two countries move to deepen cooperation in investment, energy, health, critical minerals and financial markets.

The recognition is contained in the US Department of State’s 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report, released last week, which assessed the availability and reliability of information on public finances across 139 governments and the Palestinian Authority.

The 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report covers the period from January 1 to December 31, 2025, providing an assessment of fiscal disclosure practices during the period under review.

Tanzania did not meet all the minimum requirements under the assessment but was among governments identified as having made ‘significant progress’ towards meeting the fiscal transparency standards.

The assessment comes as Tanzania and the United States seek to strengthen economic relations, with officials from the two countries recently highlighting opportunities for cooperation in strategic sectors and technical exchanges.

On August 11, Finance Minister Khamis Mussa Omar met with Acting US Ambassador to Tanzania Andrew Lentz in Dar es Salaam, where they discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in critical minerals, energy, health, investment and economic development.

The two sides also emphasized continued government-to-government engagement and technical dialogue in strategic areas, including Tanzania’s planned development of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector.

The meeting provides a broader context to the latest US fiscal transparency assessment, with both countries emphasising the importance of stronger institutions, investment and technical cooperation as they seek to deepen economic ties.

The US Department of State said fiscal transparency is important because it enables citizens and other stakeholders to understand how governments raise and spend public resources.

‘Fiscal transparency is a critical element of effective public financial management, helps build market confidence, and underpins economic sustainability. It fosters greater government accountability by providing a window into government budgets, helping citizens hold their leadership accountable and facilitating better public debate,’ the report says.

For Tanzania, the report found that key fiscal information was being made publicly accessible, including the enacted budget and end-of-year report.

It also assessed the availability of information relating to natural-resource extraction awards, while identifying public procurement contracts as an area where greater public disclosure would strengthen transparency.

The finding gives Tanzania an opportunity to build on reforms already under way, particularly as the country seeks to attract investment into major projects and strengthen confidence in its public financial management systems.

At their August 11 meeting, Mr Lentz stressed that close communication and cooperation between experts from the two countries would be important in facilitating the implementation of major strategic projects.

‘We recognize the importance of investing in health infrastructure, local production of health products, and strengthening institutions responsible for public health. This cooperation aims to enhance Tanzania’s capacity to respond to health challenges and ensure that citizens have access to quality and sustainable health services,’ said Mr Lentz.

The two sides also discussed strengthening the investment environment, including major mining projects and efforts to add value to Tanzania’s natural resources.

They agreed on the importance of effective coordination between the Government and investors to ensure strategic projects are implemented efficiently and deliver benefits to the economy and citizens.

The discussions also extended to the financial sector, with Mr Omar highlighting opportunities for Tanzania and the US to exchange experience on strengthening economic, financial and technical cooperation.

He cited the development of Tanzania’s government securities market as an example of technical cooperation that could deliver long-term benefits to the economy.

‘There is significant scope for exchanging experience on how the two governments can strengthen economic, financial and technical cooperation,’ Mr Omar said.

The US report also examined transparency in government procurement, natural-resource extraction and public debt, areas that are increasingly important as Tanzania expands public investment and seeks to attract private capital.

On health, the renewed cooperation between the two countries is already taking shape through a recently signed agreement worth $3.1 billion over five years, according to the Finance Ministry.

President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran would not make deal he thinks is needed to end a war with the US and should surrender as talks between the countries remained stalled.

“They’re not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary. Look, we’re in there for one reason: Iran ?cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.

Asked whether the US ?was seeking to extend an interim deal with Iran, Trump said “no.”

The interim deal agreed to ?in June declared an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts”, but quickly unraveled, with ?Trump saying it was “over” on July 7 and Iran’s foreign ministry declaring it “suspended” a week later.

Under that memorandum ?of understanding, Iran and the US committed to negotiating a final deal – covering broader issues such as the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme – in a maximum of 60 days, extendable by mutual consent. Monday marks 60 days since the MOU was ?signed.

Hours before, Trump told a Fox News reporter during a phone interview that Iran “should put up the ?white flag of surrender.”

Separately, Oman and Iran have been in talks to try to reach an agreement to restore commercial ?in the Strait of Hormuz, which carried 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began in late February.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Fox.

When asked later in the Oval Office if he was out of patience ?with Oman, Trump told ?reporters: “No, I don’t think ?they behaved very well, but we’d handle them very easily, just like we do other things.”

The dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up ?fuel prices and put pressure on Trump to end a war that is ?unpopular at ?home ahead of the November midterm elections that will decide control of the US Congress.

Trump told Fox News that the midterms were not impacting his strategy on Iran.

but they’re not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary.

“Midterms have nothing to do with my thinking,” he said.

Earlier on ?Monday, Trump ?posted on his Truth Social platform: “The number one Goal is, and ?always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon,” repeating one of his stated rationales ?for the war.

Kenyan runners dominated the 2026 CRDB Bank International Marathon at the weekend, but beyond the competition, the event delivered a wider message on the power of sport to promote health, community development and social responsibility.

Held at the TTCL Grounds in Kijitonyama, the marathon attracted runners from Tanzania and beyond, with Kenyan athletes again demonstrating their strength in long-distance running. Their strong showing added a competitive edge to an event whose significance extended well beyond the finishing line.

For Vodacom Tanzania, one of the sponsors, the marathon provided an opportunity to combine sporting excellence with its social impact agenda. Speaking during the climax of the event, Vodacom Business Director Nguvu Kamando said the company was participating in the marathon for the third consecutive year as part of its long-term commitment to initiatives that improve the lives of Tanzanians.

‘For Vodacom, the marathon provides an opportunity to combine sport, community engagement and our corporate social responsibility agenda, particularly in supporting initiatives focused on maternal and child health,’ said Kamando. He said Vodacom’s involvement was part of its wider commitment to supporting communities.

Kamando said such initiatives demonstrate the thinking behind Vodacom’s Zaidi ya Mtandao campaign, which seeks to show that the company’s contribution to society goes beyond telecommunications and digital connectivity.

‘When we say Vodacom is Zaidi ya Mtandao, we mean that we are more than a telecommunications company. We are a partner in Tanzania’s development,’ he said.

He said supporting health initiatives creates benefits that extend beyond hospitals and patients, as healthier mothers and children contribute to stronger families, productive communities and a more resilient society.

The company also encouraged its employees, customers and partners to participate in the 10-kilometre race as part of efforts to promote exercise and healthier lifestyles.

‘Our goal is not just to sponsor the event but to actively participate and encourage others to join a movement that is changing lives,’ he said.

While Kenyan runners provided much of the sporting excitement, Vodacom believes the marathon’s biggest victory lies in its social impact.

‘The impact of this marathon goes beyond race day. It creates healthier communities, supports vulnerable families, and gives all of us an opportunity to contribute to a greater cause,’ he added.

Tanzania is seeking to make the most of home advantage at the 23rd Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Games, with the regional competition receiving a major boost through a $90,000 (about Sh234 million) sponsorship from the East African Development Bank (EADB).

The games, which are currently underway in Morogoro, have attracted 413 teams and 5,548 participants from across East Africa competing in 51 sporting disciplines. The competition will run until August 22.

Speaking during the official opening ceremony, EADB Country Manager Stephen Wambura said the bank’s support reflects its commitment to investing in young people and initiatives that contribute to sustainable development in the region.

‘While our core mandate is financing development projects across key sectors of the economy, we recognise that sustainable development goes beyond infrastructure and enterprises. It also means investing in people, especially young people, who represent the future of our region,’ Wambura said.

He said the commitment had prompted EADB to become the title sponsor of this year’s FEASSA Games, contributing $90,000 towards the successful staging of the tournament.

‘Sports sponsorship is one of the key pillars of our Corporate Social Initiatives agenda because we understand the transformative power of sports in shaping character, promoting healthy lifestyles and unlocking opportunities for young people across our region,’ he added.

Under the sponsorship arrangement, EADB is supporting the production of medals and trophies for winning teams and providing playing kits for participants competing in the finals.

Tanzania has entered one of the largest contingents, with 127 teams and 1,704 participants competing across various disciplines.

In boys’ football, the hosts are represented by Nsumba Secondary School, Mbeya Day Secondary School, Morogoro Secondary School and Urambo Day Secondary School. Ziba Secondary School, Fountain Gate School and Kilombero Secondary School will carry Tanzania’s hopes in girls’ football.

In volleyball, Lumala Secondary School, Kaliua Secondary School and Kajunjumele Secondary School will compete in the boys’ category, while Mengele Secondary School, Lumala Secondary School and Mwanhuzi Secondary School will contest the girls’ event.

Basketball is another discipline where Tanzania expects a strong challenge. Nsumba Secondary School, St Jude Secondary School and Juhudi Secondary School will compete in the boys’ 5×5 event, while Orkeeswa Secondary School, Uru Community Secondary School and Rungwa Secondary School will represent Tanzania in the girls’ competition.

In netball, Mkolani Secondary School, Vwawa Secondary School and Mbeya Secondary School are among the Tanzanian teams expected to lead the challenge.

Beyond competition, the FEASSA Games provide a platform for young athletes to develop talent, discipline, teamwork and leadership while strengthening regional integration through sport

Two Chinese shipping giants have stopped sending oil ?tankers through two Middle East chokepoints amid ongoing conflict and are instead collecting oil cargoes outside the Gulf, according to three industry executives, tanker and a ship broker.

State-controlled COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation (600026.SS), opens new tab and China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) (601872.SS), opens new tab have kept their tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb since late July, according to tanker tracker Vortexa and a ship broker, with security concerns curbing oil shipments to the world’s largest importer.Yemen’s Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on July 20, while the Strait of Hormuz remains largely ?closed after a brief U.S.-Iran interim peace deal reached in June fell apart.

The decision by the two shippers to avoid both chokepoints followed communications with central ?authorities, according to a state oil trading executive and two Chinese shipping executives with direct knowledge of the matter. These sources and ?others declined to be named due to company policy.

CMES told investors in late July that its vessels would not enter the Strait of Hormuz for the time being. ?It added that other shippers have avoided Bab al-Mandeb, without mentioning its own policy for the narrow passage at the southern end of the Red Sea, a public filing showed.

The ?two shippers, which together control more than 100 very large crude carriers (VLCCs) capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil apiece, handled roughly half of China’s crude imports from the Middle East before the Iran war began in late February, according to shipping sources.

Excluding oil from US-sanctioned Iran, China’s crude imports from the Middle East, shipped mostly in VLCCs, averaged 4.9 million barrels per day last year ?according to Chinese customs data. The two state shippers do not transport Iranian oil due to sanctions, according to traders and analysts.

An executive at one of the state ?shippers said supertanker utilisation has dropped since the Iran war started, with many vessels diverted to longer routes to the Atlantic and the Americas.

“The tankers remain engaged, but (they are) sailing longer voyages, experiencing waiting ?time amid greater uncertainty,” the executive said.

The yields on 30-year treasuries have just hit the highest since 2007. And it’s not just the US.

COSCO did not respond to a request for comment. CMES did not immediately comment.

Loading outside the gulf

Data from ship-tracker Kpler showed a surge in ship-to-ship transfers involving China- and Hong Kong-owned vessels in the Gulf of Oman, with volumes exceeding 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) in June and July.

There was no such activity in April and May and less than 30,000 bpd in each of the first two months of 2026.

“They are avoiding the two straits, but sending vessels to the new STS (ship-to-ship) points ?outside the Gulf – low risk and good ?profits,” said a second Chinese shipping ?executive, referring to waters off Omani ports and the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah where in recent months most Gulf crude exports have been shipped and transferred to vessels bound for Asian buyers.

High freight margins

Daily freight for the Oman-China voyage was assessed last Friday at $140,000, ?which translates into a per-tanker daily margin of roughly $110,000, said the second executive. Before the Iran war, a VLCC tanker generated $30,000 ?to $40,000 daily profit on ?a similar route, the executive added, with the conflict sharply boosting earnings from shipping oil out of the region.

Four COSCO-run supertankers and a fifth operated by CMES loaded oil via ship-to-ship transfers at Fujairah in July, according to Vortexa.

Between August and mid-September, about a dozen supertankers each controlled by COSCO and CMES are slated for loadings outside the Gulf – mostly at Fujairah ?and at or ?near Omani ports primarily chartered by Chinese refiners, according to a ship broker.

In a sign of caution, ?Coslucky Lake, one of the last COSCO tankers to enter the Red Sea to load oil from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu before the Houthis’ blockade, changed course in early August and sailed without cargo through the Suez ?Canal to load Saudi oil from Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir, Kpler tracking shows.

A total of 45 development projects worth Sh18 billion are expected to be launched during the Uhuru Torch race in Shinyanga Region, covering Kishapu, Shinyanga and Kahama districts.

Speaking on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, during the reception of the Uhuru Torch at Mwigumbi Village in Mondo Ward, Kishapu District, Shinyanga Regional Commissioner, Ms Mboni Mhita, said the projects would directly benefit residents.

‘In Shinyanga Region, which has three districts, the Uhuru Torch will launch 45 projects worth Sh18 billion. These projects will directly benefit residents. I urge residents to turn out in large numbers to receive the Uhuru Torch wherever it passes,’ said Ms Mhita.

Speaking on behalf of the CRDB Bank chief executive officer, the bank’s director of lending, Mr Exavery Makwi, urged residents to keep their money safely in banks and carefully consider their options before investing in businesses.

‘Residents should think carefully before investing in businesses. You should not find yourself investing your money in many businesses, only to lose track of where the money has gone. If you take time to think carefully and keep your money in the bank, you will have a better opportunity to invest in the right business,’ said Mr Makwi.

He added that the construction of the Maganzo branch building cost Sh700 million, aimed at taking financial services close to citizens.

‘We have improved our services by offering interest-free loans. We also provide financing for modern agricultural equipment such as tractors, ploughs and other machinery,’ added Mr Makwi.

Uhuru Torch race leader, Mr Wazo Mwang’onda, commended CRDB Bank for providing interest-free loans to residents, particularly businesspeople, as well as financing modern agricultural equipment.

‘When you take a loan, go and put it to productive use and repay it gradually. I commend the bank for providing loans, including interest-free loans, as well as modern agricultural equipment that enables farmers to engage in productive farming,’ said Mr Mwang’onda.

He further commended the government for creating an enabling environment for investors to invest in the country, saying such investments contribute to development.

‘An enabling environment is a catalyst for development and benefits the people. I urge residents to continue maintaining peace and stability to create a conducive environment for investment,’ Mr Mwang’onda added.

When I got to the last page of this short story, I was perplexed. I wasn’t sure what had just happened. I knew it was a brief read, but that last sentence felt like I was just getting started, so I sat there not knowing what to do with myself.

In this short story, we follow an unnamed narrator, a woman who has just had a baby. She seems to be sick, but none of her family, including her husband and brother, who are both doctors, believe that she is sick.

‘If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency-what does one do?’

It left me with such a bad taste in my mouth. Yes, this book is from 1892, but are things any better now when it comes to taking women’s illnesses seriously, especially when it comes to what and how they feel in their bodies? Or their mental state, especially after giving birth to another human being?

The narrator and her family leave their town home for the countryside, where her husband believes it will do her good to have fresh air and do nothing throughout their three-month stay. A decision made entirely by him without seeking the opinion of the ‘sick person’ who needs such treatment.

Imagine living your entire life unable to make your own decisions or do what you feel is important to you because you are not allowed to do so without your husband’s agreement. I think that is a prison of its own. But then again, times have changed, and things are different now, or are they?

The narrator knows exactly what would be helpful to her: to be able to write, to think, to have someone comment on her work, to have a community, if you will. But she is unable to do that because her loving husband and physician believes that locking her up is saving her, when he is doing the opposite.

The new house they have moved into is spacious, with a huge garden and yellow wallpaper that, according to our narrator, is repellent and revolting. She tells us this by writing in secret because John, her husband, will not be happy to know that she is writing or thinking for herself. Oh, the horror!

The narrator has a baby she cannot bring herself to be around. She calls him a ‘dear baby,’ but being with him makes her nervous.

Postpartum depression can do that to a mother. I think about how much she has to pretend to be fine, because otherwise her husband will be mad at her. She thinks to herself, ‘John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no REASON to suffer, and that satisfies him. Fortunately, Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby! And yet I CANNOT be with him; it makes me so nervous.’

The woman goes through her days locked indoors. She does not have any company. She is not allowed to write, something she loves and believes would give her relief from what is going on with her. I put myself in her shoes and wondered what my life would look like if I were not allowed to process the world through the very thing I know how to do: writing. Thinking about it makes me feel devastated.

She fills her days by observing the wallpaper, on which she sometimes feels as if a woman is trapped and trying to escape. She promises herself that she will be the one to save this woman, and this gives her a new outlook on her life. She becomes even quieter, which pleases John, but he doesn’t realise that it is the beginning of the end.

But the desire to be free and to reclaim autonomy can push people to find ways to rescue themselves, even when those ways don’t make sense to the rest of us.

This story is haunting, confusing, and sad at the same time. The writing is so brilliant and captivating. I particularly loved the short sentences. And then I got to the last one.

I laughed. I laugh a lot when I am confused, or when something doesn’t make sense. I couldn’t believe that was how the story ended. I wanted to turn the page and keep reading. What do you mean I am done?

The ending left me confused but also sad and happy at the same time. Sometimes, saving yourself might seem like saving an imaginary person who looks so much like you.

The National Assembly’s fourth sitting has been postponed to Wednesday, August 26, 2026, to accommodate the Maulid public holiday announced by the National Muslim Council of Tanzania (Bakwata).

A statement released on Monday, August 17, 2026, by the Parliamentary Communication and Public Education Unit noted that the schedule adjustment allows Muslims and the wider public to participate in the national celebrations hosted in Dar es Salaam.

‘Under the motion moved by Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba on June 26, 2026, the fourth sitting of the 13th Parliament was slated to commence on Tuesday, August 25, 2026,’ the release detailed.

‘Following Bakwata’s announcement declaring Tuesday, August 25, 2026, as the Maulid holiday, Speaker of the National Assembly, invoking Standing Order 35 (4) and (5) of the Parliamentary Standing Orders, 2025, informs Members of Parliament and the public that the sitting will now begin on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 9:00 am,’ adds the document.

Bakwata Secretary General Nuhu Mruma confirmed that national Maulid prayers will take place on the night of August 24 at the Mnazi Mmoja Grounds in Dar es Salaam.

The main Maulid Council will follow on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC), where President Samia Suluhu Hassan is scheduled to be the guest of honour.