Category: The Citizen

Rombo. Students at Mashati Secondary School in Rombo, Kilimanjaro, have developed a digital voting system designed to simplify the election process for citizens.

The innovation was created by students in Forms Five and Six, using knowledge gained from Computer Science classes to demonstrate creativity and technological skills. During the school’s 16th Form Four graduation ceremony on 11 October 2025, Form Six student Eliabu Japhet said the idea was inspired by a desire to contribute to national development through technology.

“We used the skills we have learnt in class to build a website and an online voting system, showing how technology can simplify elections. With this being a general election year, we created a model for digital voting,” Japhet said.

He explained that the system mirrors the principles of the National Electoral Commission (INEC), displaying presidential candidates and allowing voters to select their preferred choice. “The system securely records votes, and each voter receives a digital receipt as proof of participation, which remains private,” he added.

The Commissioner of Conservation at the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS), Prof Dos Santos Silayo, praised the students for their innovation and boldness in applying school knowledge to practical solutions. “Congratulations on this impressive innovation.

You have shown how ICT education can provide solutions to societal challenges. Keep refining this idea, as it could bring great benefits in the future,” Prof Silayo said.

Meanwhile, the school’s headteacher, Emmanuel Mrosso, said the project highlights the importance of ICT education in solving social challenges through youth-driven innovations. “Our students have shown that education is not just theoretical; it can create positive change in society.

We are proud to see our young people being innovative and using technology for the public good,” Mr Mrosso said. .

By Badru Juma Rajabu As Tanzania prepares for future elections, its greatest hope — and responsibility — lies in the hands of its young people. According to the 2022 National Population and Housing Census, over 60 percent of Tanzanians are under 35 years old.

That makes youth not just the largest voting bloc, but the living heartbeat of the nation’s stability. Every electoral season tests unity.

It is a moment when emotions rise, loyalties harden, and the country’s democratic maturity is put to the test. Yet, amid all this, the Tanzanian youth stand uniquely placed — as peacebuilders, mediators, and defenders of national harmony.

From the UN to the AU: Frameworks that recognise youth power Global and continental institutions have long recognised that peace cannot be sustained without the inclusion of youth. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015) was the first to formally acknowledge young people’s vital role in preventing conflict and sustaining peace.

Later resolutions — 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020) — deepened this call, urging member states to give youth a voice in decision-making and peace processes. The African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security echo this vision, stressing that Africa’s demographic dividend will only bear fruit if youth are fully empowered.

Similarly, the East African Community (EAC) encourages civic education and regional cooperation to promote peaceful, issue-based politics across its member states. The UNDP SELECT Project (2023) reinforces this approach, showing that youth participation in elections must go beyond voter turnout — to roles as educators, observers, and advocates for non-violence.

Tanzania’s youth: The custodians of peaceful elections Tanzania’s history of peace did not happen by accident. It was cultivated — through deliberate civic education, interfaith dialogue, and youth engagement.

Today, young artists, social media influencers, and student networks across the country lead campaigns against hate speech and fake news. Yet the African Union’s “Youth Perspectives on the New Agenda for Peace” reminds us that in Eastern Africa, mistrust between citizens and institutions, unemployment, and manipulation of young voices remain real risks.

At the same time, the report insists that young people are the “backbone of preventive diplomacy” — especially in the digital age, where online spaces can spread peace or fuel division. For Tanzania, this means equipping young citizens with digital peace literacy — the ability to use online platforms responsibly to promote tolerance and truth during election seasons.

Why youth must lead the peace agenda 1. Demographic power and moral duty: With most voters under 35, the tone of Tanzania’s elections will reflect the behaviour of its youth.

Their actions online and offline will decide whether politics divides or unites. 2.

Agents of creativity and prevention: UNDP research shows that youth innovate in peacebuilding — using theatre, radio, street art, and social media to inspire non-violence and dialogue. 3.

Guardians of intergenerational equity: Today’s youth safeguard the peace that future generations will inherit. Their civic participation is an investment in tomorrow’s stability.

4. Rebuilding trust in institutions: Declining trust in political institutions is a global concern.

Youth-led election monitoring and transparency campaigns can rebuild confidence in Tanzania’s democratic system. Turning vision into action For peace to endure, Tanzania must translate good intentions into structured policy and practice: Adopt a National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security, in line with AU and UN frameworks.

Fund youth-led peace networks and civic education programs, particularly in rural districts.Harness digital media for peace messaging and countering misinformation.

Empower political party youth wings to be centres of ethical leadership and non-violence.Strengthen regional partnerships with the EAC and AU Youth for Peace initiatives to share experiences and build capacity.

A peaceful legacy, one generation at a time Peaceful elections are not simply the absence of violence; they are the presence of justice, trust, and participation. As both the UNDP (2023) and African Union (2024) reports affirm, young people must be included at every stage of the electoral cycle — before, during, and after voting.

Tanzania’s youth are not just witnesses to democracy; they are its architects. By embracing dialogue over division and hope over hostility, they can ensure that every election strengthens — rather than strains — the nation’s unity.

“Sustaining peace begins with the courage of young citizens who choose ballots over bullets, truth over tension, and dialogue over division.” References UNDP (2023): Youth Participation to Sustain Peace during Electoral Processes (SELECT Project).

African Union (2024): African Youth Perspectives on the New Agenda for Peace. United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018), 2535 (2020).

United Republic of Tanzania (2022): National Population and Housing Census. East African Community (2023): Youth, Peace and Security Framework.

Badru Juma Rajabu is Deputy Secretary-General, ICGLR Regional Youth Forum .

Arusha. A 30-year-old police officer, Omary Mnandi, a resident of Arusha City, was brutally killed after being struck on the head with a blunt object in what is believed to have been a case of mistaken identity on the night of October 11, 2025. The incident occurred at around 11 p.

m. at Simaloi Bar in the Kaloleni area of Arusha, where five suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing.

Arusha Regional Police Commander, SACP Justine Masejo, said preliminary investigations indicate that the incident happened after the late Mnandi, who was reportedly intoxicated, mistakenly entered a vehicle belonging to one of the suspects instead of his own. “The deceased, who was driving a car with registration number T 402 CNC, entered another vehicle, registration number T 734 AXR, and fell asleep inside.

Upon finding him there, the suspects attacked him, inflicting fatal head injuries,” SACP Masejo said. He said that five suspects have been detained for questioning as investigations continue before further legal action is taken.

“The Arusha Regional Police Force is finalising its investigation into this incident to ensure the suspects face justice,” he said. The body of the deceased has been preserved at Mount Meru Regional Referral Hospital pending burial arrangements.

Witnesses at the scene said Mnandi had been drinking with two fellow police officers at the bar before the tragic incident occurred. One witness, Richard Levina, said the three arrived earlier in the evening and were enjoying alcoholic drinks when Mnandi, feeling tired, decided to rest in his car.

“Unfortunately, he mistakenly opened and entered another vehicle parked nearby, believing it was his own,” Levina said. He said that when the car owners returned and found an unfamiliar man sleeping inside, they panicked and attacked him with a metal object, assuming he was a robber.

“The blows caused severe head injuries that led to his instant death,” Levina said. According to further reports, the late Officer Mnandi was living in the police housing quarters in the Fire area of Arusha and was scheduled to be transported to Tanga, his birthplace, for burial on October 12, 2025. .

Geita/Shinyanga. In the mineral-rich heartlands of Geita and Shinyanga, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential candidate, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has pledged a new chapter for small-scale miners, promising to deepen reforms that have already transformed lives in the mining sector.

Addressing a rally in Bukombe District, Geita Region, on Sunday, October 12, 2025, President Hassan reminded residents of how far they had come since the government decided to formalise small-scale mining and grant licences to locals. “Young people here in Bukombe used to sneak into the Kigosi forest to mine gold illegally,” she said.

“But since God placed these minerals in your land, it is only fair that you benefit from them. I instructed Ministers Biteko and Mavunde to issue licences so that my sons and daughters could mine legally and earn from their resources,” she said, noting: “That is exactly what has happened, and now both youth and women are expanding their economic opportunities through mining with most of you becoming bilionaires.

” The President said if elected her government will strengthen geological research to identify new mineral zones, noting that only 16 percent of Tanzania’s mineral-rich land has been surveyed so far. “We have made Mbogwe a recognised mining district because of its immense potential.

When you re-elect us, we shall invest in research to discover more sites, enabling more young people to engage in mining and contribute to our national income,” she said in Mbogwe District. She added that alongside mining development, her government will continue improving essential social services such as clean water, healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

Currently, she said, 86 percent of Mbogwe residents have access to clean and safe water. Government’s commitment to miners The Minister for Minerals, Mr Anthony Mavunde, praised President Hassan’s directive that led to the issuance of 7,977 licences to small-scale miners, including women in Bukombe.

“Before her leadership, many miners operated in hiding,” Mavunde said. “But under her instructions, no one was left behind.

We have distributed licences to all, and we have also procured drilling machines worth Sh9 billion, 15 in total, deployed across the country, with one sent here to Bukombe.” He added that previously, Bukombe lacked mineral markets and buying centres, forcing miners to travel long distances to sell their gold.

“Following her directive, we established two official markets and three buying centres, bringing services closer to the people. Miners now sell their minerals freely and safely,” Mavunde noted.

Voices from the ground A 33-year-old small-scale miner from Ushirombo, Mr Dotto Msenye, said life has changed drastically since licences were issued. “Before, we worked in fear of being arrested,” he said.

“Now we operate legally. I can support my family, and I’ve even built a house from my earnings.

The President’s reforms have restored dignity to our work.” Similarly, Ms Saida Mwita, a mother of three who runs a small processing centre, said legalisation has empowered women.

“We are now part of the mining economy,” she said. “Women can own licences and trade openly.

The income has helped us send our children to school and expand our businesses.” Bukombe MP and Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Doto Biteko, said President Hassan’s leadership has turned Bukombe into a vibrant mining hub.

“In the past, people used to mine in fear,” he said. “Today, our people dig gold confidently and earn decent incomes.

You have worked miracles here, and we in Bukombe have decided–we’re moving forward with you.” He insisted: “Bukombe is now a mining powerhouse” Rounding off her campaign in Kahama, Shinyanga Region, on October 11, 2025, President Hassan emphasised the next plan to modernise the sector using advanced exploration technology.

“We will continue empowering small miners by giving them modern drilling machines and using aerial technology to map and identify new mineral deposits,” she said. “We cannot ignore large investors, but our top priority remains small-scale miners.

” Industry leaders back Samia The president of the Federation of Miners Associations of Tanzania (FEMATA), Mr John Bina, lauded President Hassan’s commitment to the sector, which employs an estimated six million Tanzanians. “President Samia is the choice of miners because she respects and empowers us,” he said.

“She has provided equipment through STAMICO, created an enabling business environment, and ensured that both local and foreign investors thrive. If the current pace continues, the mining sector could soon contribute over 30 percent to the national GDP.

” As she concluded her speech, cheers erupted across the rally grounds, with miners waving placards reading Mama wa Dhahabu Yetu (Mother of Our Gold). .

Dar es Salaam. There is renewed hope for smoother commuting in the city as Phase II of the Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project has officially begun passenger trials along the MbagalaKilwa corridor.

Government Spokesperson Gerson Msigwa confirmed yesterday that the trial runs, conducted by Mofat Company, started two days ago and have now advanced to include passengers. “The trials began the day before yesterday and yesterday the buses operated without passengers.

Today, Sunday, they have started carrying passengers. We will continue in this phase while gradually increasing the number of buses on the route,” said Mr Msigwa.

The second phase of the BRT will involve 250 buses operated by Mofat Company, which has been awarded a 12-year contract to provide services on the corridor. All the buses will be powered by natural gas, in line with the government’s commitment to promoting cleaner and more sustainable public transport.

The launch of the Mbagala route marks a significant milestone in the city’s efforts to ease congestion and improve commuting efficiency for thousands of Dar es Salaam residents. Officials say the new BRT phase is expected to cut travel time between Mbagala and the city centre, offering a reliable and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional public transport.

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Dodoma. The Government has announced 41,500 job vacancies for the 2025/2026 financial year, urging qualified Tanzanians to seize the opportunities without delay.

The vacancies distribution in different sectors and quantity in brackets are: Education (12,176); health sector at local government level (10,280); agriculture (470); livestock (312); fishing (47); and security, including police, prisons, fire, and immigration services (7,000). Speaking to journalists on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the Mtumba Public Service Office in Dodoma, the President’s Office, Public Service and Good Governance Permanent Secretary, Mr Juma Mkomi, said these jobs are specifically earmarked for the 2025/2026 financial year.

Mr Mkomi directed the Employment Secretariat to complete the recruitment process for positions unfilled in the 2024/2025 financial year (45,000 jobs) alongside the 2025/2026 vacancies by November 2025. “By November, we expect all 86,500 job permits issued for 2024/25 and 2025/26 to be filled, with successful applicants starting work immediately to address current staffing gaps in the public service,” said Mr Mkomi. He also instructed that appointment letters be sent directly to candidates’ accounts on the employment portal, rather than being physically delivered in Dodoma, to reduce inconvenience and costs for new recruits.

“Interviews for government job applicants should be conducted in their respective regions, and appointment letters uploaded to their portal accounts, avoiding unnecessary travel to Dodoma and back to their designated workplaces,” he added. Furthermore, Mr Mkomi revealed that the government currently faces a public service shortage of approximately 280,000 employees and is working to reduce this gap by continuing to issue job permits where staffing is insufficient.

He also shared the results of a weekly customer service assessment for public servants, noting that 312 employees participated. The main challenge highlighted was the use of the Public Employee Performance Management Information System (PEPMIS) and Public Institutions Performance Management Information System (PIPMIS) systems, which were addressed during the assessment.

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Unguja. The CCM presidential candidate for Zanzibar, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, has pledged allocation of substantial funds to provide interest-free loans to entrepreneurs to help them expand their businesses.

He made the remarks on Thursday, October 9, 2025, while addressing entrepreneurs at Abdulwakil Hall in Mjini Magharibi Region. “In this new term, we will find ways to reach more people through small-scale capital support.

It is unrealistic to demand that someone selling vitumbua (rice cakes) must open a bank account before receiving assistance,” said Dr Mwinyi. He explained that the planned financing scheme would draw funds from the Central Government, development partners, and state-owned institutions, with additional resources borrowed from financial entities to widen access to affordable loans.

“We will strengthen the capital financing framework to reach more entrepreneurs than before and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy that has discouraged many,” Dr Mwinyi said, urging voters to renew his mandate. He said his administration would also create an enabling business environment by developing well-organised markets and providing adequate trading spaces.

“However, we will not allow businesses to operate haphazardly. There will be a proper plan for developing business infrastructure,” he emphasised.

Dr Mwinyi said empowering entrepreneurs remained one of his top priorities if given a new term, adding that his government would continue to promote innovation and inclusivity in the business sector. He noted that many entrepreneurs have innovative ideas and valuable insights on improving business operations, but often lack platforms to engage with policymakers.

“We will establish mechanisms that allow people with great ideas to advise the government on how to improve the business environment,” he explained. The CCM candidate also pledged to support the seaweed industry, saying many small-scale producers were struggling due to limited markets.

“In addition to finding markets, we will help seaweed producers set up small processing factories. When we talk about industries, we do not necessarily mean large ones with heavy machinery.

Even a business employing ten people qualifies as a factory. Our goal is to help them create more jobs,” he said.

Earlier, several entrepreneurs raised concerns over the limited accessibility of newly constructed market stalls and the bureaucratic procedures for obtaining loans. “We request that these loans be more accessible.

In some markets, stall rental fees are too high,” said entrepreneur Khadija Khamis. In response, Dr Mwinyi said the government would review the issue, stressing that the aim of building new markets was not to maximise tax collection but to empower citizens economically.

“We intend to uplift small traders and ensure that market facilities truly serve their purpose in improving livelihoods,” he said. .

Burkina Faso has said it rejected a proposal by the United States to take in foreigners being deported as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Trump aims to deport millions of immigrants who are in the U.

S. illegally and his administration has sought to ramp up removals to third countries, including several in Africa.

Burkina Faso’s neighbour Ghana said in September the government had agreed to take in nationals from other West African countries. But Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore told a national broadcaster on Thursday night that Ouagadougou had refused multiple approaches by the Trump administration to accept third-country deportees.

“Burkina Faso is not a land of deportation,” Traore said, calling the request from the U.S.

unworthy and indecent. Noting that Burkina Faso recently decided to lift visa fees for all Africans, he said the country’s hospitality “should not be seen as an opportunity for a third country to get rid of certain populations that it considers undesirable.

” Burkina Faso’s military-led government, headed by Ibrahim Traore, took power after two coups in 2022. Relations between the country’s authorities and Western powers have grown increasingly strained as the junta has grown closer to Russia. The U.

S. Embassy in Ouagadougou temporarily paused all routine visa services from Friday and advised residents to refer to the embassy in Togo’s capital Lome.

No reason was given. The U.

S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the U.

S. had tried to send third-country deportees to Burkina Faso.

Traore did not say what Burkina Faso might have received had it agreed to the proposal. Ghana has said the decision to take in West African deportees did not amount to an endorsement of Trump’s immigration policy and that Ghana was not getting anything in return .

U.S President Donald Trump has not won the Nobel Peace Prize.

He responded to the snub with humour after Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, saying she personally called to tell him she was accepting it “in his honour.” Speaking to reporters on Friday, President Trump said, “She called me — a very beautiful call — and told me she was accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in my honour, because she believed I truly deserved it.

I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me,’ though maybe she should have.” Although President Trump refrained from directly criticising the Nobel Committee, the White House took a sharper tone.

Communications Director Steven Cheung accused the committee of choosing “politics over peace,” suggesting that Trump’s record of mediating global disputes had been unfairly dismissed. White House officials had earlier expressed disappointment over the decision, pointing to Trump’s recent role in helping broker a ceasefire deal in Gaza and his previous diplomatic efforts in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula.

President Trump highlighted what he described as his “strong record of promoting peace and stability,” claiming that few leaders had done more without resorting to war. .

Shinyanga. The CCM presidential candidate, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has unveiled a comprehensive plan to expand irrigation farming across Tanzania, aiming to boost agricultural growth to 10 percent annually by 2030. She made the revelation on Saturday, October 11, 2025, when addressing campaign rallies in Maswa and Maganzo, Kishapu District, Shinyanga Region.

President Hassan said the construction of 738 irrigation schemes will form the backbone of her administration’s agricultural transformation agenda. “Irrigation farming is our priority.

We are going to build 738 irrigation schemes across the country by the end of this year. My target is that by 2030, the agriculture sector will grow by 10 percent annually,” said President Hassan.

She noted that the sector currently grows at around four percent per year but explained that the government’s long-term strategy aims to raise that growth rate significantly through irrigation, mechanisation, and expanded markets. “When I talk about agriculture, I mean crops, livestock, and fisheries.

They are all part of the same value chain that feeds our economy and our people,” she added. The CCM hopeful said her administration has already made strides in agriculture through fertiliser and input subsidies, rehabilitating livestock dips, improving markets, and building infrastructure to support farmers and pastoralists.

She emphasised that irrigation development is crucial for ensuring food security, increasing farmers’ incomes, and protecting them from climate change. President Hassan also pledged continued investment in agro-processing industries to provide markets and jobs for youth, particularly graduates from technical colleges.

“We are strengthening trade and industry so that our young people have jobs. Our industries will process crops, livestock, and fisheries products, all coming from irrigation-supported production,” she said.

Addressing thousands of supporters at the Kambarage Grounds in Shinyanga, she urged citizens to vote for CCM, assuring that her government would deliver even more progress than in the past four years. “Development is a journey that begins step by step.

In the past five years, we made progress in all sectors. I assure you that we are going to do even greater things in the next phase,” she said, stressing that uplifting every Tanzanian and to ensure dignity and respect was the core agenda of her administration.

In her Maganzo address, she reiterated that her administration will continue supporting small-scale miners, promising to resolve long-standing disputes between them, large mining companies, and surrounding communities. She also announced plans to develop key infrastructure, including the 54-kilometre KolandotoMwangongo road, to improve transportation and market access for farmers.

On health, she pledged to enhance specialised medical services so residents would no longer need to travel long distances for advanced care. “We want Shinyanga to have specialised health services available within the region so people no longer have to travel far to seek medical attention,” she said.

President Hassan noted that 40 percent of the country’s mining revenue comes from small-scale miners, highlighting their crucial contribution to the economy and promising continued support. “We have issued more than 1,700 new licences to small-scale miners in the past five years, up from 332 before.

We have already started addressing the conflicts between big and small miners, and if you give us another term, we will end those conflicts completely,” she assured. Meanwhile, the Tanzania Food Vendors Association Chairperson, Ms Havijawa Omary, praised President Hassan for promoting clean energy use among small business operators, which has improved health and livelihoods.

“Clean energy has saved our lives and reduced cases of tuberculosis among us. We thank President Hassan for her support,” said Ms Omary.

As the campaigns continue, CCM’s agricultural agenda, particularly its focus on irrigation farming, stands out as a key pillar in its vision for a more resilient, productive, and inclusive economy. .