Category: The Citizen

Africa’s richest industrialist just placed two very different investments in two neighbouring countries, and the split tells sophisticated capital more about East African competitiveness than either deal does on its own.

At State House in Dar es Salaam, Aliko Dangote laid out a project pipeline for Tanzania that goes well beyond the cement plant that has anchored his presence there for years. On the table: a 2,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant, a urea fertiliser complex, new port infrastructure, a special trade zone, a 40-kilometre concrete access road, and an 812-kilometre transport corridor linking Mtwara to Mbamba Bay in the south. It builds on an existing $500 million cement operation in Mtwara producing three million tonnes annually and sits inside a wider Dangote Group commitment to deploy $40 billion across the continent over five years. President Samia responded quickly, directing her ministries to open technical discussions and appointing the Minister of Planning and Investment to coordinate formal negotiations, with a Tanzanian delegation expected in Nigeria in the coming weeks.

Read against Dira 2050’s flagship pipeline, this is the kind of signal investment climates are built on: a repeat investor, already embedded in the local economy, choosing to multiply his exposure rather than simply maintain it.

For DFIs and sovereign funds weighing Tanzania against its regional peers, that is a data point worth more than most communiques.

But the same meeting carried a second story, and it belongs to Kenya. Dangote’s planned East African refinery, long discussed as a Tanga project, will now be built at Lamu instead.

President Samia has clarified that her administration had not cleared the Tanga plan, and Dangote has since pointed to commercial and technical considerations, chiefly Kenya’s larger domestic fuel consumption base, as the deciding factor.

He has invited Tanzania to take an equity stake in the Lamu asset rather than host it. That is a generous offer, and a real one. It is also a reminder that anchor investment decisions of this scale are won on feedstock logistics, demand depth, and regulatory readiness well before they are won on diplomatic goodwill.

The two outcomes are not a simple win and loss. Tanzania secures upstream capacity across power, fertiliser and ports, precisely the infrastructure a manufacturing and mining economy needs to move up the value chain.

Kenya secures a strategically significant downstream energy security asset. Both governments got something real. What the split does confirm is that Dangote, like any investor deploying capital at this scale, is running the same siting discipline his peers apply everywhere: proximity to demand, cost of logistics, and speed of regulatory clearance decide where the largest tickets land, not the strength of the relationship alone.

For investors watching Tanzania specifically, three things are worth tracking before treating this as done. First, everything announced remains at the stage of technical and legal review. Implementation is explicitly contingent on ministries checking the proposals against legal, policy and development priorities, and formal negotiations have not yet concluded.

Second, a 2,000-megawatt coal-fired plant is a financing question as much as an engineering one. Development finance institutions and export credit agencies have moved decisively away from coal in the past five years, which narrows Tanzania’s options to commercial lenders, Dangote’s own balance sheet, or bilateral financing from markets less constrained by coal-exclusion policies.

That detail matters for anyone modelling how this gets built, and it sits awkwardly beside Tanzania’s parallel push to position itself as a regional hub for green investment. Third, the power plant and fertiliser complex will need offtake agreements, land arrangements and local content compliance worked out in detail, the same categories of commitment that determine whether ambitious announcements in Tanzania become operating assets or remain permanently at the memorandum stage.

None of this diminishes the significance of the announcement. A repeat investor choosing to expand rather than exit is itself a credible signal, and one Tanzania’s competitors would be glad to receive. But the discipline that separates a signed memorandum from a functioning power plant is the same discipline that should separate an investor’s enthusiasm from an investor’s due diligence.

The gap between the two is where the real work, and the real risk, sits.

Tanzania’s flagship pipeline under Dira 2050 will keep attracting announcements of this size. The question worth asking of each one, this deal included, is not whether the investor believes in the country, but whether the terms on offer can clear the financing, regulatory and offtake hurdles that stand between a State House meeting and a plant that produces power.

The East African Community (EAC) has operationalised its Regional Centre of Excellence in Virology, marking a major milestone in efforts to strengthen the region’s capacity for virus research, specialised laboratory training and disease surveillance.

The facility, hosted by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe, Uganda, was officially launched on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, by Uganda’s Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, on behalf of President Yoweri Museveni.

The centre is expected to serve as the region’s leading hub for advanced virology research, laboratory diagnostics, scientific training, disease surveillance and knowledge sharing, enabling EAC partner states to better prepare for and respond to public health threats, including Ebola, Marburg and other emerging and re-emerging viral diseases. Launching the centre, Ms Nabbanja described the initiative as a significant step towards strengthening regional health security, saying East Africa must continue investing in scientific research and innovation to address evolving disease threats.

‘The world is changing rapidly, together with its health challenges. We have learnt that a nation capable of studying its own pathogens is a self-reliant nation. Uganda remains committed to increasing investment in research,’ she said.

The EAC Council of Ministers Chairperson, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, said the establishment of the centre came at a critical time when infectious diseases continued to pose serious risks across the region and beyond.

She said lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated that diseases do not respect national borders, making regional cooperation essential in preventing and responding to outbreaks.

Ms Kadaga added that although EAC partner states had strengthened their laboratory systems in recent years, disparities in technical expertise, infrastructure and resources remained.

She said the new centre would bridge those gaps by promoting scientific collaboration, specialised training and the sharing of expertise among partner states.

Representing the EAC Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Mr Ariik Malueth said the centre was among seven Regional Medical Diagnostic Centres of Excellence identified under the EAC Health Investment Priority Framework 2018-2028, approved by the 19th Summit of EAC Heads of State.

He said the centre would ensure specialised scientific knowledge developed in one partner state became a shared regional resource benefiting all East Africans.

‘Uganda’s selection reflects the Uganda Virus Research Institute’s internationally recognised expertise and decades of contribution to virus research, disease surveillance and outbreak response,’ he said.

UVRI Director, Prof Pontiano Kaleebu, said the institute was committed to supporting regional health security through cutting-edge virology research, specialised laboratory training, diagnostics, surveillance and scientific collaboration.

He noted that UVRI already played a regional role by confirming laboratory samples submitted by partner states before disease outbreaks were officially declared, ensuring public health decisions were guided by scientific evidence.

The operationalisation of the centre has been supported through the EAC Regional Network of Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases Project, with financial support from the German government through KfW and technical assistance from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM).

Uganda’s KfW country director, Jan Alber, reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to supporting East Africa’s health security, saying stronger laboratory systems and scientific partnerships were essential for building resilient health systems capable of responding to future disease outbreaks.

The legal saga involving University of Dodoma (Udom) lecturer Melkisedeki Kaijage has taken a new turn after prosecutors upgraded his charge to terrorism.

Mr Kaijage has been in police custody since July 8, 2026, when he was initially arrested for allegedly inciting public protests, an offence for which he was denied bail.

In response, the University of Dodoma Academic Staff Association (Udomasa) filed an application seeking his release on bail, which was heard on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Following the hearing regarding the July 7 incitement allegations, the court issued guidelines enabling Mr Kaijage to secure bail.

However, as defence lawyers and Udomasa officials processed the court judgment to execute his release, authorities substituted the charge.

Udomasa Chairman, Dr Gerald Shija, confirmed that the academic now faces a non-bailable terrorism charge and has been transferred from police custody to Isanga Prison.

‘Yesterday, we received information that Mr Kaijage was taken to court. Upon arrival, we discovered he had already been remanded on a new charge of terrorism,’ said Dr Shija.

The severe charge presents significant legal hurdles for his family and colleagues regarding bail eligibility.

Mr Kaijage is widely regarded among peers as a popular lecturer who maintains strong rapport with students, an influence colleagues attribute to his engaging teaching methods rather than political mobilisation.

Unguja. Zanzibar has stepped up efforts to strengthen early childhood development (ECD), describing investment in childcare, nutrition and early learning as critical to building a skilled and productive future workforce.

Second Vice President Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, representing President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, made the remarks yesterday during the launch of the Zanzibar Multisectoral Early Childhood Development Programme (ZMSECDP) 2026-2031 and the opening of the Stanbic Bank Tanzania-funded Mwanakwerekwe Early Childhood Development Centre.

He commended Stanbic Bank for supporting Zanzibar’s ECD agenda and called on other financial institutions and private sector players to support similar initiatives.

“We commend Stanbic Bank for this strategic investment and its continued support for socio-economic development not only in Zanzibar but across Tanzania,” Mr Abdulla said.

The Sh500 million facility, named the Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi Childcare Centre, is among the first projects under the Adopt an ECD Centre Initiative, a partnership involving the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Stanbic Bank Tanzania and Save the Children International.

Located at Mwanakwerekwe Market, the centre will provide childcare, early learning, nutrition, healthcare and child protection services for up to 60 children daily, particularly benefiting traders and working parents. State Minister in the President’s Office and Acting Minister for Health, Dr Saada Mkuya Salum, said implementation of the five-year ZMSECDP programme will require Sh205.2 billion, to be mobilised through the government, development partners, civil society and the private sector.

Stanbic Bank Tanzania Chief Financial and Value Officer Derick Lugemala said the project was an investment in people and Zanzibar’s future rather than corporate philanthropy. He said the remaining Sh150 million from the bank’s Sh500 million commitment would support additional ECD centres across Zanzibar.

“The centre demonstrates what can be achieved when government, business and development partners unite to strengthen families, empower communities and unlock the potential of the next generation,” Mr Lugemala said.

The initiative aligns with Zanzibar Development Vision 2050, which identifies human capital development as a key driver of long-term socio-economic transformation.

A total of 258 patients diagnosed with conditions requiring surgery and specialised treatment during the Phase Three Medical Camp in Arusha will receive these services free of charge.

The announcement was made on Thursday, July 23, 2026, by Arusha Urban Member of Parliament Paul Makonda, who coordinated the initiative, stating that organisers will collaborate with stakeholders to cover all medical expenses.

During the camp held from July 13 to 21, 2026, 28,871 citizens accessed health services, with 258 identified as needing specialised referrals and surgery for serious conditions, including tumours, cancer, and cardiovascular ailments. Mr Makonda, who is also noted that most affected patients come from low-income families unable to afford procedures, prompting the organising committee to intervene.

‘Patients attended seeking diagnoses, only to learn they required complex, costly surgeries. It would be unjust to leave them without assistance,’ said Mr Makonda.

He assured that the committee will track each patient through the referral process until full recovery.

‘We will support them through this secondary phase of care to restore their health and enable them to resume economic activities,’ he added, appealing to health institutions and donors for support.

The camp engaged 520 healthcare providers, including medical specialists and super-specialists from across the country, alongside 200 support staff.

Screenings revealed high rates of non-communicable diseases: 6,030 individuals were diagnosed with hypertension, including 1,930 newly identified cases placed on immediate care.

Additionally, 6,297 people were screened for diabetes, with 554 diagnosed with elevated blood sugar levels and enrolled in treatment.

Mr Makonda urged men to prioritise routine prostate health checks, noting that participation remains low despite rising cases.

Services encompassed cardiology, oncology, paediatrics, gynaecology, orthopaedics, nephrology, and mental health care, alongside cervical and breast cancer screenings.

Surplus medical supplies valued at Sh89.88 million and Sh154 million in cash donations will be retained to sustain local services.

Arusha District Medical Officer, Dr Nindwa Maduhu, confirmed that the remaining supplies will be distributed to district health centres, with referrals commencing immediately.

Tanzania has reaffirmed the importance of its long-standing defence partnership with China, saying the cooperation has strengthened the country’s security capabilities through military training, technology transfer and capacity building.

Speaking during celebrations marking the 99th anniversary of the founding of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the Chinese Embassy on Tuesday, the Minister for Defence and National Service, Dr Rhimo Nyansaho, said the partnership had become a cornerstone of bilateral relations. He said defence cooperation between the two countries dates back to the era of Tanzania’s founding President, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and China’s Chairman Mao Zedong, and has continued to grow under President Hassan and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Beyond defence, the relationship has expanded to education, health, infrastructure and other areas of development, he said.

Amne Suedi’s recent column in this paper, on whether Tanzania’s advocates can survive the mega-project era, raises a fair question about local content in legal services and then answers it unfairly. Her diagnosis is that bar leadership has, since 2017, poured its energy into confrontation with government over constitutional and political questions, and that this has come at the cost of enforcing the local-content rules that would put briefs and fees in Tanzanian lawyers’ hands.

A bar association, she argues, cannot be both government’s sharpest critic and its most persuasive partner in getting those rules enforced. Something has had to give, and for eleven years, she says, it has been the advocates themselves.

I read this with respect for the economic case she makes about legal services and local content. I read it with alarm for the constitutional case she leaves out. She has, in my view, misunderstood the entire issue.

She writes as though the Rule of Law is a separate line item from lawyers’ economic wellbeing, something the Society can trade off against local content enforcement as a matter of strategy. It is not separate. A bar that cannot speak against the erosion of the courts, against arbitrary arrest, against the hollowing out of constitutional guarantees, will not survive long enough to negotiate anyone’s fee schedule.

The right of lawyers to benefit from this country’s resources cannot be secured by lawyers who have first surrendered their core duty to defend the legal order those resources depend on.

A few questions Ms Suedi has not asked

Is what she calls a mistake a legal failing, or a failing of particular individuals inside government? Does she know that it was the sustained push by TLS and by individual advocates that helped carry Tanzania toward the entrenchment of a Bill of Rights in our Constitution? That did not happen because the profession sat quietly waiting for local-content regulations to be enforced. It happened because lawyers argued, litigated and, yes, confronted.

Has she asked why the First Phase Government attempted to abolish the Tanganyika Law Society altogether, through the Msekwa Commission, on the pretext that it was little more than a minority association? A government does not move to dissolve a professional body it experiences as a comfortable partner. It moves against a body it experiences as an obstacle to unchecked power.

That history did not happen by accident, and the Society’s survival of it is not incidental to the profession’s standing today.

Has she not seen that from the early 1970s, it was TLS and individual advocates who took up the killings of elders in the Lake Zone, at a time when doing so meant confronting entrenched local and political interests, and who helped force accountability where none had existed? Has she forgotten, or perhaps never learned, what role the Society and its members played in the fight for multipartyism and constitutional reform in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a fight fought against a one-party state that had no appetite for challenge? None of that was accommodating. All of it was confrontational, in the plain sense of the word. And none of it would have happened had the Society taken the posture she now recommends.

On who is actually squeezing the private sector

Ms Suedi asks why government has grown its own legal capacity at the private bar’s expense. Fair enough, ask it back: why is the military now in the beer business, running fuel stations, taking on construction contracts and competing directly with private contractors who pay taxes and carry the compliance burden the state does not? Was that crowding-out engineered by lawyers? What of tourism, where operators of every description move in and out of the sector with little apparent oversight? Is that also somehow the fault of a legal profession she accuses of being too combative?

On why disputes leave Tanzania

She notes, rightly, that the law requires natural resource disputes to be arbitrated inside the country, and that this is not happening in practice. She does not ask why. Our own courts are treated as adversarial to the state and to the status quo, and that reputation, deserved or not, is precisely why sophisticated parties structure their disputes to be heard elsewhere, at real cost in revenue and prestige to Tanzania’s own judicial system. And while we are asking uncomfortable questions: was the collapse of media houses in this country caused by a journalists’ association that dared to be critical of government?

The bottom line

Law is a business, but it is a business built on ethics and on principle. It is not the alcohol trade, where the most reliably profitable customer is the habitual drunkard, however much damage he does at home. A bar that measures its success only by how much work the state is willing to hand it has already sold the thing that makes it worth hiring.

A country genuinely committed to good governance is not frightened by constructive legal criticism. Holding government to the law it has itself enacted, including the local-content rules Ms Suedi rightly wants enforced, is not separate from defending the rule of law. It is the same work.

TLS advocates were not called to the Bar to appease power. I would ask Ms Suedi to read our history more thoroughly before she next writes on it, so that a good economic argument is not wasted in service of a conclusion the record does not support.

The cold season has brought a welcome boost for traders selling warm clothing in the Southern Highlands, with rising demand for sweaters, jackets, tracksuits and socks as residents seek protection from falling temperatures.

The regions of Iringa, Njombe and Mbeya have witnessed increased sales since the cold weather began earlier than usual in April and continued through July, creating a peak business period for traders dealing in winter wear.

In Iringa Municipality, traders said customer numbers have increased significantly as families purchase warm clothing for both children and adults. A trader at Magari Mabovu area, Neema Mhando, said this year’s cold season started earlier than previous years, when the lowest temperatures were usually experienced from June.

“Indeed, the cold season started in April 2026, much earlier than usual. We are now in the peak business period, although the cold is normally at its worst in June,” she said.

She said sweaters for children and adults are currently selling between Sh5,000 and Sh25,000 depending on quality, material and size.

Another trader, Juma Mkwawa, said demand for warm clothing is usually low during hot months, forcing traders to reduce prices to clear their stocks.

“A sweater that sells for Sh20,000 during the cold season can go for as little as Sh2,000 during warmer months,” he said.

However, traders said the current season has improved their earnings despite challenges such as rising transport costs and increased competition.

In Njombe, sellers of jackets, sweaters and socks also reported strong sales, with some saying prices have increased due to high demand.

Traders said jackets previously sold for about Sh15,000 are now fetching up to Sh25,000, while socks sell between Sh1,000 and Sh2,000. Thermal socks designed for colder weather cost between Sh4,500 and Sh5,500.

Jacket trader Sady Msemwa said the improved business had enabled him to increase his capital and save more money.

“I thank God because business is much better than before. I can now save money and increase my business capital,” he said.

Residents said the harsh cold weather had left them with no choice but to buy warmer clothes despite rising prices.

Rehema Kalinga, an Iringa resident, said she bought sweaters earlier than usual because temperatures had dropped more than expected.

In Mbeya, the cold season has created opportunities for traders, especially women selling second-hand jackets and traditional wraps known as vikoi.

Some traders move around busy areas in Mbeya City, including public spaces and entertainment venues, to market their products directly to customers.

Second-hand jackets and sweaters are selling between Sh15,000 and Sh35,000, depending on quality, while ordinary sweaters cost between Sh5,000 and Sh7,000.

Trader Sabina John said prices rise sharply between June and July as demand increases.

“From January to April, prices are usually low, but once June and July arrive, prices rise sharply because of the season,” she said.

She added that jackets sold in rural areas can fetch higher prices compared with urban markets due to increased demand and transport costs.

Meanwhile, health experts have advised residents to take precautions against cold-related illnesses.

Dr Fabian Mwasabwite of Sokoni Hospital in Iringa Municipality warned that children and the elderly were particularly vulnerable during cold weather due to weaker immune systems.

“Without proper protection, people can develop severe flu, coughs, fever and other respiratory illnesses,” he said, advising residents to wear warm clothing, especially during early mornings and at night.

Despite challenges facing traders, the cold season remains their most profitable period, with increased demand helping many expand their businesses.

The detention of a University of Dodoma (UDOM) lecturer, Melkisedeki Kaijage, has reignited debate over academic freedom in Tanzania, with academics and their union warning that the incident could undermine universities’ role as centres of independent thought, research and evidence-based debate.

The concerns follow confirmation by the Tanzania Police Force that Dr Kaijage is being held over allegations linked to incitement.

Police told The Citizen’s sister publication, Mwananchi on Monday July 20, 2026 that investigations are continuing, while UDOM management said it had not received official information regarding the lecturer’s detention. The case has since attracted the attention of the Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions Trade Union (THTU), which argues that the incident raises broader questions about the protection of academic freedom and the relationship between law enforcement and higher learning institutions.

In a detailed legal and policy analysis released on Monday, the union said the arrest of academics over issues connected to their professional duties risks creating fear within universities and weakening the country’s higher education system.

“The recent incidents involving the arrest, questioning and prosecution of academics over opinions expressed while carrying out their academic duties have generated a wider debate on the limits of academic freedom and how law enforcement should be balanced with the protection of the fundamental rights of academics,” the union states.

According to THTU, academic freedom goes beyond what lecturers say inside lecture halls.

It encompasses the right of academics, researchers and students to teach, learn, conduct research, publish findings and participate in scholarly discussions without intimidation or unlawful interference.

Citing international instruments, including UNESCO’s 1997 Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel, the union argues that universities can only fulfil their mission of generating knowledge and innovation when scholars are able to pursue research and express academic opinions freely.

The organisation also notes that Tanzania’s legal framework already recognises freedom of expression under Article 18 of the Constitution and that the Universities Act and Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) guidelines emphasise institutional autonomy and academic freedom.

The union says Dr Kaijage’s detention follows earlier arrests of two lecturers from St John’s University of Tanzania, who were also accused of offences linked to planned demonstrations.

It says Kaijage, who had responded to a police summons, is being detained for the second time after previously being arrested during events surrounding demonstrations in December last year.

THTU maintains that it has closely followed the cases, including visiting police stations where the lecturers are being held, while seeking to ensure they access their legal rights.

“The right to bail is among the fundamental rights of an accused person as recognised under the Constitution,” the document states, adding that continued detention without bail and delays in presenting suspects before court have raised legal questions that deserve careful consideration.

Beyond the legal issues, the union warns that such arrests could have far-reaching consequences for universities.

It argues that fear of arrest may encourage lecturers to avoid discussing sensitive public policy issues or undertaking research in areas such as governance, law and human rights.

“The arrests create a chilling effect within universities,” the paper says. “Academics may begin to censor themselves by choosing not to teach or research certain subjects for fear of legal or administrative consequences.”

According to the analysis, the consequences could extend beyond individual lecturers.

The union warns that restrictions on academic debate may affect the quality of teaching, discourage scientific research, weaken institutional autonomy, damage collaboration between lecturers and students and reduce Tanzania’s attractiveness as a destination for international academic partnerships and research funding.

THTU further argues that universities play a vital role in producing professionals, policymakers and innovators capable of addressing national challenges through evidence-based solutions.

“If the learning environment is driven by fear, intimidation or repression instead of the freedom to think, question and seek truth based on evidence, the nation risks producing professionals who are afraid to ask difficult questions or offer independent advice,” the union states.

To strengthen academic freedom, THTU is calling on the Government to amend the Universities Act to explicitly recognise academic freedom as a protected right, while urging security agencies to distinguish legitimate academic activities from criminal conduct.

It also recommends that universities strengthen institutional autonomy through internal policies and that national bodies, including TCU and the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG), work together to develop national guidelines on academic freedom.

As investigations into Dr Kaijage’s case continue, the debate has moved beyond the fate of one lecturer. For many within Tanzania’s higher education sector, the discussion now centres on how the country can simultaneously safeguard national security, uphold the rule of law and preserve the academic freedom that universities require to fulfil their mission of teaching, research and innovation.

The Fire and Rescue Force has launched an investigation into a fire that destroyed a warehouse in the Kauma area along Kenyatta Road in Mwanza City.

The investigation is being conducted alongside the completion of inquiries into another fire that destroyed about 50 shops on Lumumba Street on July 3, 2026.

Acting Mwanza Regional Fire and Rescue Commander Elisa Mugisha said the latest fire broke out at about 9:20 pm on July 21 and was reported by an off-duty firefighter who spotted the blaze while passing the area. He said firefighters arrived promptly but found the fire had already spread extensively, forcing them to deploy a three-pronged firefighting strategy to contain it.

“The warehouse was surrounded by open space, allowing our teams to access all sides of the building and prevent the fire from spreading further,” he said.

Acting Mwanza Regional Commander of the Fire and Rescue Force, Elisa Mugisha, speaks about the fire incident on Kenyatta Road on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. PHOTO | COURTESY

Mr Mugisha said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

He also noted that delayed reporting remains a major challenge in responding to fires in Mwanza, despite several recent incidents occurring in the city centre.

“The firefighter who spotted the blaze enabled us to respond quickly. However, we believe there were security guards and nearby residents who could also have alerted us earlier,” he said.

Mr Mugisha said investigations into the Lumumba Street fire were in their final stages and urged members of the public to report fire outbreaks immediately by calling the emergency number 114.

He also called on property owners to observe fire safety regulations, including obtaining professional approval for building plans and complying with Fire and Rescue Force safety requirements.

Meanwhile, Mwanza Regional Police Commander Wilbrod Mutafungwa said the fire was brought under control without causing any casualties.

He said police officers secured the area, protected property and managed traffic by diverting vehicles to alternative routes to ensure the safety of motorists and rescue teams.

A witness, Yassin Haji, said the prompt response by firefighters prevented a far more serious disaster, noting that the warehouse was surrounded by buildings and located close to a petrol station.