Category: The Citizen

Barcelona. Spanish authorities on Thursday removed the remains of three kings who ruled the Aragón region in the 11th century from a monastery threatened by a wildfire.

Their remains were taken to the provincial museum of Huesca, located 80 km (50 miles) south of the monastery, for their protection until conditions improve, said the northeastern region’s vice-president Mar Vaquero.

After the wildfire that had been raging since Monday began moving toward the 10th ?century San Juan de la Peña monastery late on Thursday, concern that it could be engulfed by flames prompted authorities to launch a rescue operation, Vaquero told reporters.

An emergency military unit team managed to enter the monastery, located in a mountain range, and take ceremonial clothing belonging to an 18th century count buried there, before the proximity of the flames forced them to flee.

The team returned a second time, ?accompanied by police officers and heritage officials, and removed the remains of the first three kings of Aragón – who ruled between 1035 and 1104 – from a pantheon within the monastery, as well as some historical paintings.

Vaquero praised ?the bravery of the rescue team.

The wildfire had intensified earlier on Thursday, fuelled by higher temperatures and strong winds. It has burned more than 9,000 ?hectares and forced the evacuation of 16 towns, although the monastery remained unharmed on Friday morning.

In southern Spain, a much larger wildfire also ?worsened on Thursday. It has so far burned 31,000 hectares in the province of Huelva and forced the evacuation of around 700 people.

. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed town planning authorities in Zanzibar to allocate designated areas for sports and children’s entertainment facilities.

She also urged authorities to ensure the spaces are protected against encroachment and conversion to alternative uses.

President Hassan made the statement on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, during the launch of a children’s amusement park in Kizimkazi, South Unguja, as part of the Kizimkazi Festival 2026. . President Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed town planning authorities in Zanzibar to allocate designated areas for sports and children’s entertainment facilities.

She also urged authorities to ensure the spaces are protected against encroachment and conversion to alternative uses.

President Hassan made the statement on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, during the launch of a children’s amusement park in Kizimkazi, South Unguja, as part of the Kizimkazi Festival 2026. Following this increase, President Hassan invited investors to expand child-related services, including toy shops and other facilities that can help children enjoy entertainment while learning.

She officially handed over the parks to regional and district leaders, emphasising that generated revenues should be preserved and used for infrastructure maintenance to ensure longevity and long-term service to children.

President Hassan also urged parents and guardians to continue raising children on foundations of faith, morality and love, stressing that the greatest heritage society can leave behind is not just property, but a safe, peaceful nation enabling them to achieve their dreams.

Minister for Social Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Anna Atanas Paul said rural children also deserve better environments to play, learn and nurture their talents.

She stressed the importance of having such centres across all regions of Zanzibar to ensure children enjoy equal opportunities to grow in physically, mentally and socially enriching environments.

‘These centres should not be viewed merely as sports and entertainment spaces, but as vital components of child rearing and welfare,’ she said.

According to Ms Paul, the Ministry has begun reaching rural children through Day Centres, aimed at providing care and early learning from as young as two years.

“The government aims to narrow the opportunity gap between urban and rural children, giving every child the chance to start their life journey in a conducive environment,” said the minister.

South Unguja Regional Commissioner, Ms Hamida Mussa Khamis, said the region continues to expand opportunities for children to access safe spaces for play and health promotion following the opening of designated children’s grounds in Kizimkazi.

She noted that launching the grounds is a crucial step aligned with the rapid development momentum witnessed across the region and neighbouring areas.

“These grounds have been specifically prepared for children aged between one and 15 years, aiming to provide a safe, friendly environment to play, learn and build health,” said the Regional Commissioner.

She added that the rising child population and regional development make demand for more grounds essential, preventing children from playing in unsafe environments.

Dar es Salaam. The government is moving to reduce the time oil tankers spend at the port by improving the handling, storage and distribution of petroleum products, in a move aimed at cutting costs and improving efficiency across Tanzania’s fuel supply chain.

Speaking on August 14, 2026, during an inspection of petroleum infrastructure at the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) and Tanzania International Petroleum Reserves Limited (TIPER), Ministry of Energy Permanent Secretary responsible for Petroleum and Gas Dr James Mataragio said vessels arriving in the country should discharge their cargo and leave without unnecessary delays.

‘Our expectation as the government is to see ships arrive, discharge petroleum products and leave. Every institution must understand its responsibility and prepare accordingly,’ he said.

Dr Mataragio said the government was working to improve coordination among institutions involved in the importation and handling of petroleum products to prevent vessels from remaining at the port longer than necessary.

He said slow receipt and clearance of petroleum products at some privately owned storage facilities was among the factors contributing to prolonged stays by oil tankers.

The delays create bottlenecks in the petroleum supply chain, forcing vessels to wait before their cargo can be discharged and increasing congestion at the port.

Dr Mataragio directed Petroleum Bulk Procurement Agency (PBPA) Chief Executive Officer Erasto Simon to strengthen oversight of privately owned storage facilities and ensure operators invest in infrastructure capable of handling petroleum products efficiently.

He said storage facility owners should upgrade pumps and other equipment, particularly at facilities where ageing or inadequate infrastructure was slowing the receipt of fuel supplies.

‘Delays at the port increase operational costs, including charges associated with vessels waiting to discharge their cargo, and these costs can eventually have an impact on petroleum prices for consumers,’ he said.

The government’s intervention will therefore target the wider petroleum supply chain, from the arrival of vessels at the port to the transfer of fuel into storage facilities.

PBPA Chief Executive Officer Erasto Simon said the agency would bring together key petroleum industry stakeholders, including oil marketing companies (OMCs) and TPA, to review the Standard Operating Procedure Manual governing the handling of petroleum products.

‘We will meet with key stakeholders in the petroleum sector, including oil marketing companies and TPA, to review and improve the Standard Operating Procedure Manual. The review will clearly define the responsibilities of every stakeholder, set timelines for implementation and strengthen accountability throughout the process,’ he said.

The review is expected to improve coordination between vessels and petroleum storage facilities, reduce the time oil tankers spend at the port and limit costs associated with delays.

The government’s focus on improving petroleum handling comes as efficient fuel imports and distribution remain important to transport operators, businesses and households that depend on reliable supplies.

During the inspection, Dr Mataragio was accompanied by Petroleum Commissioner Goodluck Shirima, PBPA Chief Executive Officer Erasto Simon, Dar es Salaam Port Manager Abed Gallus Abed, Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (Ewura) Eastern Zone Manager Engineer Lorivii Long’idu and experts from the Ministry of Energy.

Dar es Salaam. The Rotary Club of Bahari Dar es Salaam is seeking to mobilise more than Sh80 million from leaders and institutions in the public and private sectors to support community projects, with neonatal care among its key priorities.

Through its Neonatal Global Grant Project, the club said in a statement on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, that it is working with SolidarMed to equip neonatal wards and strengthen healthcare workers’ skills, as it seeks to help address preventable newborn deaths in Tanzania.

The fundraising drive will also support other community interventions, including the renovation of primary school toilets, construction of an incinerator at Mtakuja Secondary School and provision of 450 desks for about 3,030 pupils at Toangoma Primary School, including 34 visually impaired pupils.

The neonatal project comes as the country continues to face a significant burden of newborn deaths.

The 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey put the neonatal mortality rate at 24 deaths per 1,000 live births, while recent World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates put the rate at about 20-21 deaths per 1,000 live births.

The figures indicate progress, but also show that thousands of babies continue to die during their first 28 days of life, a period when premature birth, complications during delivery, infections and other conditions can quickly become fatal without appropriate care.

Globally, WHO says about three-quarters of neonatal deaths occur during the first week of life, making timely intervention, skilled personnel and adequate equipment critical to improving survival.

For the Rotary Club of Bahari, the challenge is therefore not simply about increasing the number of health facilities, but ensuring that existing facilities have the capacity to care for premature and sick newborns.

‘The results of our blood donation drive demonstrate the power of collective action. Through partnerships such as those we build around the golf tournament, we can mobilise more people and resources to create an even greater impact,’ said the club’s service project director, Ms Gladness Mkumbo.

The club’s July blood donation campaign, conducted with Rotaract Tanzania and the National Blood Transfusion Service, attracted 77 donors and collected 44 units of blood, with the potential to save more than 130 lives.

Ms Mkumbo said the experience demonstrates the potential of partnerships in responding to social challenges that cannot be addressed by government institutions alone.

The club is applying the same approach to education and sanitation. The sanitation interventions are particularly relevant to girls’ education.

An earlier Unicef-supported assessment in Dar es Salaam found an average of one drop hole for every 215 boys and one for every 187 girls in sampled schools, compared with a recommended ratio of one for every 20 pupils.

The Rotary interventions therefore go beyond charitable support, targeting gaps that can affect health, dignity, school attendance and learning.

A social welfare expert, Mr Abdul Mkami, said stronger cooperation between government, businesses, civil society organisations and communities should become a deliberate approach to tackling social challenges.

‘When institutions come together and contribute what they can, relatively small interventions can produce a much bigger social impact,’ he said.

According to him, the responsibility of improving people’s lives should not be left to one institution; ‘it requires collective action, accountability and sustained commitment.’

The Rotary Club of Bahari’s current programme builds on previous interventions, including planting 1,000 trees at the University of Dar es Salaam, cervical cancer screening for at least 150 women and providing an incinerator to Toangoma Primary School.

Club President Irene Bizere said the annual fundraising platform had evolved beyond sport into a mechanism for building corporate partnerships around community service.

‘Over the years, this tournament has grown beyond golf to become a platform where friendship, corporate partnership and a shared commitment to service come together,’ she said.

The challenge now is to sustain the partnerships beyond individual fundraising events and ensure that resources reach areas where they can make the greatest difference.

Tanzania has just closed a chapter that I spent years watching from the inside, one policy shift at a time. Under the Foreign Exchange (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, the Bank of Tanzania has opened Treasury bills and Treasury bonds to non-resident investors of any nationality, not only those from the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community, or the Tanzanian diaspora, who previously held exclusive access to this market.

More than a decade ago, I led a benchmarking exercise on Tanzania’s compliance with the EAC Treaty and the Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Common Market, with a specific focus on the free movement of capital.

What that exercise found was a capital market that did not honour its regional obligations. Tanzania then added the EAC and SADC residency requirements which gave the appearance of regional openness, while the underlying market remained, in practice, tightly held by Tanzanians and a narrow band of regional and diaspora participants.

Watching that market widen, cautiously and in stages, over the following ten years has been one of the more instructive lessons I have had in how capital account liberalisation unfolds in this region. It rarely arrives as a single dramatic reform. It arrives as a sequence of smaller ones that eventually cross a threshold.

This amendment crosses that threshold. Non resident investors, regardless of nationality, now access Treasury bills and Treasury bonds through approved Central Depository Participants and the Bank of Tanzania’s Central Depository System, the same infrastructure used by domestic banks, brokers and diaspora investors before them.

The reform follows the central bank’s earlier move to market determined bond coupon rates, adopted at the end of 2024 to improve price discovery, a precondition that matters more than it might first appear.

Foreign capital tends to avoid markets where pricing is administered rather than discovered. Tanzania removed that obstacle before opening the door, not after.

The timing speaks to a broader fiscal reality. Domestic debt currently makes up close to 30 percent of Tanzania’s total debt stock of just over $50 billion, and until now, retail and foreign holders together accounted for a modest share of that.

As Tanzania moves into the implementation phase of Vision 2050, and as budget financing becomes less reliant on concessional development assistance and more dependent on a mix of domestic revenue, market borrowing and blended finance, a shallow, closed government securities market becomes a genuine constraint.

Widening the investor base is not merely a technical fix to a funding gap. It is a structural requirement for a country that intends to finance its own long term development ambitions rather than borrow them from donors.

There is a currency stability dimension too, and it deserves equal weight. A broader base of non resident holders of shilling denominated government debt creates another channel through which foreign currency enters the economy, easing pressure on the exchange rate and deepening liquidity in the domestic bond market. Analysts have been quick to frame the reform in these terms, and they are right to. However, it is worth stating plainly that opening a market and deepening a market are not the same achievement. The regulation creates access. It does not, on its own, create demand.

Whether this reform delivers the capital inflows Tanzania is counting on will depend on execution that has, in other reform episodes, lagged the ambition of the policy itself: how efficiently Central Depository Participants onboard new foreign clients, how predictably the tax treatment of non resident bondholders is applied, and how consistently regulatory intent is honoured at the operational level once the initial announcement fades from the headlines.

Tanzania has, to its credit, been more disciplined on this front in recent years than it was a decade ago.

However, sophisticated institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds and development finance institutions among them, will watch implementation as closely as they watched the announcement itself.

For investors evaluating East African fixed income exposure for the first time, or reconsidering it, this reform deserves attention beyond the headline. It is not the end point of Tanzania’s capital account liberalisation, and it should not be read as one.

It is, however, the clearest signal yet that Tanzania intends to finance its next phase of growth on more diversified terms, and that the market it is offering access to is no longer the closed one I first worked on a decade ago.

Amne Suedi is the Managing Director of Shikana Investment and Advisory, Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Zanzibar, and Chair of the Switzerland-Tanzania Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed are strictly Amne Suedi’s only.

Sometimes…actually, most of the time I am extremely grateful to be the last-born in my family.

Because in African families, being the last-born comes with benefits: fewer majukumu ya kifamilia, less pressure to make major family decisions and, thankfully, fewer people calling you because ‘we need your opinion on this important family matter.’

Excuse me?

I still sing the ABCs in my head to remember which letter comes after G. Why are you giving me a family crisis to solve?

Financially, being last-born also means I can still ask my parents and older siblings for help here and there.

And before anyone judges me, I did not bring myself into this world.

They planned me.

For five whole years.

So technically, the family had time to budget.

But being the last-born has also given me a front-row seat to the financial expectations placed on first-borns and only children.

I have friends who get their first proper jobs and, barely three weeks later, are already paying for younger siblings’ uniforms, school contributions and household expenses.

Three weeks!

The poor girl is still figuring out her payslip, and the family has already promoted her to Minister of Finance.

And the requests can be spectacular.

Suddenly, Mjomba’s Dad iPhone 14 is ‘not communicating properly”, so apparently an upgrade is now a family emergency.

Really?

Shangazi’s daughter’s neighbour swallowed a fork, and somehow the contribution WhatsApp group has your number.

Someone’s cousin wants capital for a business they have not even explained properly.

A younger sibling needs new shoes that are trending.

Then someone remembers there is a wedding contribution due on Saturday.

And somehow, because you have a job, all roads lead to your bank account.

I would ask my friends, genuinely: Why?

Why would your family ask you to take on all this when you have just started working and are still trying to sort out your own rent, transport, savings and life?

Sometimes I tell them, “Just say sina.’

And then I watch their jaws drop.

Because apparently ‘I don’t have money’ can be interpreted as ‘I have money, I just don’t love you enough.’

But there comes a point when a person stops working for their own needs and starts working for the needs of the entire family.

I have always admired my man’s ability to support his family and take care of his younger siblings. There is something beautiful about being able to say, ‘I’ve got you.’

But even generosity has a limit.

Because who supports the person who is always supporting everyone?

A young person constantly sending money home may have very little left for savings, investments, education, housing or building their own future.

Who will support them when they eventually need help?

Family support is important. Sometimes it is necessary. Sometimes it is simply love expressed through money.

But it should not become a lifetime subscription.

You can love your family and still say sina.

You can help when you can without becoming everyone’s emergency fund.

Because there is nothing noble about becoming financially unstable while trying to prove you are the responsible one.

So yes, love your family. Show up. Help when you genuinely can.

But please remember… your salary is not a family WhatsApp group. Everyone does not get to request something from it.

Moshi. The Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University (KCMC) University, in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, has launched a programme to build capacity among specialists in immunology and vaccine manufacturing, strengthening Tanzania’s ability to tackle infectious diseases.

The five-year programme, running from 2026 to 2031, will train at least 16 specialists in immunology research and vaccine production. The initiative is expected to create a pool of trained professionals who can contribute to research, disease surveillance and vaccine development.

Speaking at the programme’s launch yesterday, the lead researcher and senior lecturer at KCMC University, Dr Godfrey Temba, said Tanzania still has a limited number of specialists in immunology and vaccine manufacturing despite the sector’s growing demand for skilled experts.

He said building local expertise was important because the country needed more specialists capable of identifying and detecting diseases while advancing vaccine manufacturing.

Detailing, he said participants would gain specialised knowledge that could later be shared with researchers and health professionals in Tanzania, helping to expand the country’s capacity in immunology and vaccine production.

‘The KCMC University, in collaboration with the University of Ghana and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, will train Tanzanian specialists every year because our countries have a great need to build capacity to identify and detect diseases and learn how to manufacture vaccines,’ he said.

Dr Temba said the first cohort of three specialists would leave for Denmark next week and spend two years studying immunology and vaccine manufacturing to help combat various infectious diseases.

He said three to four Tanzanian specialists would be sent to Denmark each year during the five-year programme.

‘Once they complete their training, they will return home to collaborate with other experts and strengthen research and vaccine manufacturing,’ he said. Dr Temba said KCMC University also planned to establish a master’s degree programme to train specialists in immunology and vaccines.

‘The demand for vaccine specialists in the country is very high, particularly in immunology, which provides a foundation for advancing into vaccine production. So we need to increase their numbers,’ he said.

KCMC University Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kajiru Kilonzo, said the training would help transform society by strengthening experts’ capacity for innovation and encouraging new ideas.

‘This training will help transform society through innovation and alternative thinking. Those selected will be taught more about discovering new things,’ he said.

University of Copenhagen specialist, Prof Lea Barford, said the partnership would strengthen Tanzania’s expertise in immunology and vaccines.

‘We have collaborated with KCMC for more than 20 years on various research projects, so we believe this partnership will achieve great success in this sector,’ she said.

Programme beneficiary, Dr Immaculate Gabriel, said technological advances could enable Tanzania to reach a stage where it manufactures vaccines for domestic use and export.

‘Currently, we face many diseases without vaccines, both infectious and non-communicable. Through this training, we expect to build and strengthen our capacity to manufacture vaccines ourselves,’ she said.

Somewhere between Kahama and Geita, a plant manager waits for a batch record to reach a system hosted thousands of kilometres away. Near Mbeya, a fuel distributor discovers that a remote depot has operated for weeks on a single mobile connection, with little visibility of its performance.

In Tanga, a sisal estate sends weighbridge tickets as photographs because its operational systems cannot communicate with its finance platform.

These are not isolated technology problems. They point to a larger question at the heart of Dira 2050: can Tanzania’s digital infrastructure connect the businesses, systems and productive activities needed to drive economic transformation?

Tanzania has made impressive progress in consumer connectivity. TCRA data for the quarter ending June 2026 show internet penetration at 89.7 percent, suppAorted by 62.8 million subscriptions.

Data traffic rose by 11.65 percent during the quarter to 1,041 petabytes, while 4G population coverage reached 94.3 percent.

These figures indicate that basic digital access is no longer the country’s main challenge.

The next phase of growth lies in connecting businesses and productive sectors. Enterprise connectivity remains relatively limited, with only 103,843 corporate fixed internet subscriptions nationwide.

A 23.7 percent broadband geographical coverage gap, limited 5G territorial reach and differences in network performance between urban and regional markets show that infrastructure supporting widespread business digitalisation is still evolving.

This creates a structural imbalance with important implications for Tanzania’s long-term ambitions. While the country has built a large consumer connectivity market, enterprise connectivity remains less developed and concentrated around major urban and coastal areas.

Dira 2050 identifies weaknesses in transport, energy and digital infrastructure as constraints on private-sector productivity, while weak connectivity and limited market linkages continue to hinder economic coordination.

Achieving the plan’s ambitions, including a trillion-dollar economy and per capita income of USD 7,000, will require productivity gains across agriculture, mining, manufacturing and logistics.

These gains must extend beyond Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Arusha to mines in Geita, factories in Mbeya, farms in Njombe, logistics hubs in Tunduma and industrial sites across the regions.

This changes the definition of digital readiness. The question is no longer simply whether a location has a signal or internet connection.

It is whether geographically dispersed operations can function with the same systems, security controls, operational visibility and reliability as headquarters while remaining economically viable and scalable.

For many businesses outside major centres, this remains difficult. Connectivity often depends on what is locally available: fibre where the national backbone reaches, microwave where fibre is absent, LTE where fixed infrastructure is limited and satellite in remote areas.

Different sites may therefore rely on separate technologies, vendors and management systems. This fragmented environment can increase complexity, reduce resilience and make consistent security and performance harder to maintain.

Internet access alone is therefore not a meaningful measure of digital maturity. What matters is whether connectivity helps organisations improve productivity, reduce downtime, strengthen competitiveness and integrate effectively with customers, suppliers and internal systems.

One technology that can help address this challenge is Software-Defined Wide Area Networking, or SD-WAN. In business terms, SD-WAN acts as an orchestration layer that allows organisations to manage multiple connectivity technologies as one integrated network.

Instead of permanently relying on one expensive connection between every site and headquarters, software can use the available network paths and determine which traffic should take which route.

This has several practical benefits. Fibre, microwave, 4G, 5G fixed wireless and satellite can be managed as part of one logical network. This is particularly relevant as Tanzania’s broadband backbone reaches 122 of 139 districts, leaving areas where connectivity options remain limited.

SD-WAN can also prioritise critical applications. Plant telemetry, enterprise resource planning and other essential business systems can receive priority over less important traffic such as software updates or video calls.

Cloud applications can be accessed directly from remote sites under central security policies, while operational technology can be separated from guest networks. Sites can also be provisioned and managed centrally, potentially reducing the time required to establish new depots and operations.

However, SD-WAN is not a substitute for basic infrastructure. It cannot create bandwidth where none exists, solve unreliable electricity or compensate for inadequate last-mile infrastructure.

It also brings operational and vendor-dependency considerations. Most importantly, technology cannot overcome human-capital gaps on its own. Digital infrastructure creates value only when organisations have the skills needed to deploy, manage and use it effectively.

The broader strategic issue therefore extends beyond any individual technology. Agriculture, mining, manufacturing and logistics are geographically dispersed by nature.

If resilient enterprise-grade connectivity remains concentrated around major urban centres, digital transformation risks becoming uneven.

Consumer services and public digital platforms may continue expanding rapidly, while industries outside major cities struggle to achieve comparable productivity gains.

Three priorities follow. First, boards should treat network architecture as a strategic operating decision, not simply a procurement issue, and consider the productivity and downtime costs of remote operations.

Second, policymakers implementing Dira 2050 should include the connectivity needs of industrial zones, mines, agricultural areas and logistics corridors alongside household coverage targets.

Third, telecommunications companies should be judged not only by the links they provide, but by how effectively those links enable businesses to operate securely, productively and competitively across Tanzania.

Tanzania has connected its people. The harder and more valuable task now is connecting the places where economic value is created.

Dar es Salaam. Preparations for the seventh edition of the CRDB Bank International Marathon have entered their final stage following the arrival of American R and B star Trey Songz, who has added international entertainment appeal to a weekend combining music, sport and social impact.

The Grammy-nominated singer touched down at Julius Nyerere International Airport shortly after midnight yesterday ahead of the inaugural IMBEJU Sauti Moja Concert scheduled for today at TTCL Grounds, popularly known as Posta Grounds, in Kijitonyama. Trey will headline an international line-up featuring Nigerian Afrobeats singer BNXN, formerly known as Buju, South African DJ and producer Kabza De Small, and Tanzanian stars Mbosso and G Nako.

Speaking shortly after his arrival, Trey said he was excited to perform in Tanzania and meet his fans.

‘It’s overwhelming but I’m happy and excited to be here. I’m happy to come and perform. I’m very happy,’ he said.

His arrival received an added Bongo Flava touch when Tanzanian superstar Diamond Platnumz welcomed him at the airport. The two artistes have previously met in the United States, where they also spent time together in a studio.

Trey’s visit has, however, gone beyond entertainment after he visited children admitted at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), where some of the young patients are receiving life-saving treatment through funds raised by the CRDB Bank International Marathon.

The singer was accompanied by Managing Director of CRDB Bank Foundation, Tully Esther Mwambapa, during the visit.

The visit gave Trey an opportunity to meet the children and hear about their treatment while seeing first-hand the impact of funds generated through the marathon.

The initiative has helped support children in need of cardiac care, turning the sporting event into an important source of funding for life-saving medical services.

Trey also met young entrepreneurs benefiting from the Imbeju program, an initiative of the CRDB Bank Foundation that provides young people with opportunities in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and access to capital.

The program was established to support innovative businesses and help young Tanzanians turn their ideas into sustainable enterprises.

His engagement with the entrepreneurs gave the American star an opportunity to learn about their businesses, challenges and ambitions, further underlining the social purpose behind his visit.

The concert will officially open a weekend that culminates in the CRDB Bank International Marathon on Sunday.

Organisers say preparations for the marathon are complete, with thousands of runners, families, fitness enthusiasts and corporate teams expected to participate.

Trey is expected to perform some of his best-known songs, including Bottoms Up, Slow Motion, Say Aah, Na Na, Can’t Help but Wait and Heart Attack.

Geneva. Attacks on healthcare facilities, workers and patients in conflict zones including Ukraine and Gaza have continued to rise in 2026, reaching an average of more than four per day, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

There have been more than 900 attacks between January and August this year, resulting in at least 900 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries, according to WHO data presented in Geneva by Altaf Musani, the agency’s director of humanitarian and disaster management.

Ukraine, Lebanon and ?the occupied Palestinian territory account for the largest share of reported incidents, although attacks have also been recorded in countries including Iran, Sudan, Myanmar, Syria, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Musani said.

“What we are witnessing are multiple forms of violence,” Musani said, citing the use of heavy weapons, destruction of health facilities and the detention or abduction of healthcare workers and patients. During this period 94 healthcare workers have been detained.

In Gaza, all 36 hospitals have been damaged and only about half remain partially functional, while in Sudan 37% of health facilities are reported non-functional this year, he said. In Ukraine, the WHO has verified more than 3,100 attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion, including a recent strike affecting a WHO warehouse.

“An attack on ?healthcare does not end when an attack gets verified,” Musani said. “It is the patient who cannot receive healthcare tomorrow. It is the ambulance that cannot make the next referral.”

A WHO study of 69 attacks in northwest Syria found outpatient consultations fell by 51% immediately after an attack and remained depressed for more than a month.

Attacks can also undermine responses to disease outbreaks, Musani said. In the ?Democratic Republic of Congo, 12 verified attacks on healthcare since an Ebola outbreak was declared in May have disrupted surveillance, contact tracing, treatment and community outreach efforts. Such incidents make it harder to detect and contain outbreaks, he said.

The 156 verified attacks in Ukraine so far ?this year, out of a total of 3,100 since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, have affected hospitals, ambulances, warehouses and medical supply chains, Musani stated.

Japan’s Chiba under water as record rainfall disrupts transport, power

Since the WHO’s surveillance system began tracking such incidents in 2018, more than 10,400 attacks have been ?verified across 29 countries and territories, resulting in about 5,700 deaths and over 8,500 injuries, Musani said.

Musani said not a single one of the more than 10,000 verified attacks had yet entered an accountability process.

Health facilities are protected under international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, he noted.