Walking back in time at Bagamoyo

Monday, 26 September 2011 08:07 Kenan Kalagho

Much has been written about Bagamoyo as an Arab slave trading post and transit port for slaves to the Zanzibar slave market. I had the privilege to travel to this historic place that lies 72 kilometers along the northern coast of Dar es salaam city. The township of Bagamoyo itself dates back to slavery period and was Tanganyika colony's German capital.
It took me one and a half hours on commuter setting off from Dar es Salaam at 9: 00 am for a one and a half hours journey.

(Some of the old buildings as seen in Bagamoyo Photos by Kenan Kalagho)
A return bus ticket from  from Dar es Salaam costs the equivalent of US $3.
I was part of a group of friends, early  September as we were given a ride by a friend who owns a tour company .
Together with my colleague Anna Sombida and others, we couldn't help to take this chance of visiting this ancient township especially considering that it was going to be the first time to set my foot on this historic land.
Relics of this history town of of Bagamoyo show clearly the influence by the Arabs and Indian traders, the German colonial government and Christian missionaries who lived in Bagamoyo during the slave period, thus many of its buildings are as old as the slave period itself.
Perhaps none other than the Roman Catholic Church museum have had a well recorded history about this rich relic place and that was the reason I chose the  Roman Catholic Church museum to be my first place .
I love history and especially knowing about how people of this land endured the past life which has much led to determine the present and future life. What one sees in Bagamoyo makes ones' eyes to well with tears, because it reminds the visitor about the hardships and tales of African slavery and the inhuman experiences they endured.

(Tourists walk past some of the old buildings as seen in Bagamoyoas Bertha Francis expalins to them about the old history of Bagamoyo Photos by Kenan Kalagho)
The horrific sights, remains of the torturous life of this country's poor souls - men, women, and children - and Congolese victims are a stark reminder of the ugly side of slave trade. A number of old historical buildings still carry with them the marks of slave trade and Arabs slave traders. This makes tourists from all walks of life to descend here to see and hear about the tales of this historical town.
I saw a number of European tourists and others from around Africa while at the Roman Catholic Museum signing in the guests' registration book and praising the Church Museum for its good preservation of the historical equipment and ancient utensils which no longer exist today.
At the Church Museum, I read and saw photographs of Bagamoyo under Arabs slave traders, German and British colonial eras.
Each of these periods carry with them different outlooks, yet much of its history comes back to life in the remains of the old structures that are still standing albeit in state of dilapidation and other colonial equipments preserved at the Church Museum.
It is these old buildings that make Bagamoyo township, an ideal destination  for one looking for artiacts and archaeology.

(one anongst the the old buildings as seen in Bagamoyo Photos by Kenan Kalagho)

Some renowned relics are the photographs of missionaries such as the British explorer Dr David Livingston and Henry Morton Stanley and those of Arab slave traders and that of Maria Ernestina who is recorded as being the last slave in the annals of Bagamoyo.
 Many of the old buildings in the streets of Bagamoyo are being left to tumble down and be forgotten.
I walked around and saw among others, old dilapidated buildings of Bagamoyo town including the first residence of the German colonial governor that are not just historical  treasures, but also the wealth that keeps tourists flocking to Bagamoyo.
 It leaves one to wonder if the Tanzania Government appreciates the history and old treasures in Bagamoyo.
There are few old historical buildings that stand strong to this day like the old fort built by Arabs and Germans in 1860, yet the most famous of all, the Old Port that used to assemble before loading slaves into dhows for the Zanzibar slave market.
They stand as ruins although part of the building is being used by the Customs Department and houses the offices of the Tanzania Ports Authority.
There are several residential buildings with very unique old structural designs that are also left to collapse and fall apart, with very little hope of being renovated while some are being put on sale.
Seeing these collapsed old historical buildings that hold the history of Bagamoyo being left in sorry state I had only one option - left to "lay down my heart"  as well which is exactly what Bagamoyo itself means from the Kiswahili words 'bwaga moyo'..
Will these ancient buildings be ever renovated, otherwise there will no foreign to come and see the historical wealth of the place?
I asked my friend Bertha Francis my tour guide working with the office of the Conservation and Antiquities in Dar es Salaam who is also a student of the University of Dar es salaam who assured me that the office of Conservation and Antiquities in Dar es Salaam is working hard with other agencies to revitalize this old town and maintain dozens of ruins in and around Bagamoyo and "We have started with the old Boma," she said.
"But how long will it take for us to see at least a quarter of these old buildings which are in very bad shape being renovated?" wondered Ms Francis as she led us down to beach to see other building such as the ancient port house where slaves were loaded in dhows before being taken across to the slave market.
"The problem is that the law of conservation and antiquities permits these buildings to undergo renovation if the old structure will be retained and that the exercise costs a huge fortune."
The old slave port house is still being used to date despite being left in ruins with no renovation being made to it.

(one of the remnant of the old buildnings in Bagamoyo, such buildings needs renovation in order to protect them from collapsing Photos by Kenan Kalagho)

We saw several drug addicts seated at each corner of this huge building which gave us the impression that soon this place could turn into a robbers' den.
Most European tourists who come to visit these old buildings wonder how blessed Tanzania is with these natural resources yet, but wondered why the Government doesn't use the relics to their full potential.
However Ms. Francis said the state of the old buildings was dangerous: "You cannot guide a tourist inside a building which is about to fall down," stressed Ms Francis, adding that "if such buildings can be renovated we can then open up other new attraction places to tourists and the Government can benefit from tourists."
"Just last week I was walking German tourists who were shocked to see the dilapidation of some of famous old buildings like the old port which they thought were fine pieces if only they were renovated. They thought such renovation could lead to Bagamoyo becoming one of the greatest attractions in East Africa especially considering its history", she says.
Tanzania has a tradition of pulling down old structures.
That could be reason why several old buildings are put on sale even at this time when the old slave port town is being considered as one of the world wonders, these old structures are not really supposed to be pulled down, neglected or even being put for sale.
Sadly a similar approach is being witnessed in Dar Salaam city where some old buildings are being put out for sale and wiping out history.
"We really need to start giving these buildings their priority because besides bringing in foreign exchange and being a great attraction to tourists, they are also a source of employment and make us to know and record the country's history," she emphasized.
It was sad leaving Bagamoyo without a visit to the Kaole ruins, an ancient Arab citadel near Bagamoyo.
 I however promised myself to be back. As I started back home, the memories about slavery kept disturbing my mind and I couldn't help to shed tears.

Dar wiping out colonial history

Dar wiping out colonial history

Monday, 05 September 2011 08:04 Kenan Kalagho

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - The Tanzania Government is not saying it bluntly, but word has gotten out that it has sold off an ancient Forodhani Hotel building to the Kilimanjaro Kempinski hotel to give way for a parking lot. 

(A man walking past Forodhani building in Dar es salaam, the buiding is said to be due for demolition Photo by Kenan Kalagho)

The building overlooks Dar es Salaam harbour - a building that now houses the Appeal Court of Tanzania is due for the builders hammer anytime. The public, however, will have none of this demolition deal.
The Swiss-owned Kilimanjaro Kempinski hotel bought the old edifice just when it was seeking to sell to Hyatt Hotels of USA, a move that has led many to think the Kempinski hotel bought the prime property to increase it sale value of the Kilimanjaro.
The Tanzania Architects Association and the National Assembly aren't pleased by the sale of the historical building, and the Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Ms Celina Kombani has denied of any such demolition plan.
The Minister assured the public last week in Dodoma that the former Forodhani Hotel which houses the Tanzania Court of Appeal in Dar es Salaam has not been sold, but there are  negotiations between the Government and the Kempinski hotel on development of the historic structure.
Every person has a history, and that applies to buildings too. In Tanzania, during the colonial period and soon after independence there was a trend that required every constructed building to be dated so that the public can know when such structure was erected.

(Vehicles packed around Forodhani building in Dar es salaam, the buiding is said to have beein sold to an investor and is due for demolition Photo by Kenan Kalagho)

It was one way through which a country wanted to record its history so that generations to come should have the knowledge and appreciation about the good things that were done by their forefathers.
No wonder, if you walk in Dar es Salaam City Centre you see quite a few old buildings that date back to the early colonial period way back from 1850's, identifiable by their architecture of the era they were built in. Most of these buildings were built by the German colonialists.
Some of the magnificent old buildings in Dar include the Ocean Road Hospital which was built in 1897, the Luther House along the Kivukoni area in 1897-1903 overlooking Dar Harbour, the jail house at the junction of Morogoro/Sokine Drive, the buildings next to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the High Court - all near the Kilimanjaro Kempinski Hotel along the Kivukoni Road. Several others along the sea-side such as those being used by the Prison Department, the Commercial Court of the High Court  of Tanzania, the department of Land and Survey, and the Bureau of Statistics - all overlooking Dar Harbour -  they were all built in the 1880's - are a few buildings that carry the city's history.
There is another, the Aryansamaji building along Morogoro road in Dar's City Centre near the old bus depot that was built in 1911. It is today one hundred years old and when buildings reach such a period of a century, like the demolished Salamander building along Samora Street which till its demolition in 2008, was 106 years old, officials from the office of conservation of antiquities in Dar es salaam say they become internationally recognised as preserved buildings.
Like this building around Morogoro road, and those along the Kivukoni area including the soon to be demolished Forodhani building that currently houses the Court of Appeal, these buildings needs to be preserved for the sake of Tanzania's country's history, but alas for the Forodhani building, the Government is in the process of demolishing after selling it to the Swiss-based Kilimanjaro Kempinski Hotel. It did so just when the Kempinski was preparing to sell the real estate to the US Hyatt hotels.
These old buildings help Tanzanians to know where they came from, where they are and where they are going. They tell Tanzanians and visitors about the kind of persons we were years back, our social and political history.
Their structural designs is of great importance, tourists who come to Dar aren't really interested in the modern high-rise glass structures - they have taller ones in their own countries - no matter the beauty or expensiveness in construction they might have cost, they carry with them no worthwhile history at present.
These old buildings on the other hand carry the pride of Tanzania, they carry with them the political and social history and tell Tanzanians who we are today because from these buildings people know about our past.
In other countries there is a trend that differentiates the current from structures being built and the old ones. Thus, these countries have let the old be old and new cities to be new. Old cities consist mainly of old structures and preserve their history. Malawi is one amongst countries observing this trend. One will always come across the new town and the old town or the new city and the old city if he makes a tour of a country.
On entering Malawi from Mbeya in Tanzania one come upon a sign post as soon as one gets to Malawi's northern town of Karonga reading: "You are now entering Karonga old town" and one is sure to find another which reads, "You are now entering Karonga new town" as you progress.
In the capital city Lilongwe one experiences the same, there is the old city located some five kilometres apart from the new city. That is what is called city planning and that is how a country with a vision and focus of the future, that wants to leave the legacy of its predecessor to see their deeds, does.
Old buildings carry the same symbol just like the replica of the famous New York city Statue of Liberty or one could speak of the "Askari Monument" at the Samora street/Azikiwe street roundabout in Dar es Salaam with its clearly written words saying, "This is a memory of the Native African troops who fought, to the carriers who were the feet and hands of the army and to all other men who served and died for their King and country in East Africa in the great War of 1914-1918, If you fight for your country even if you die your son will remember your name". I ask myself where are these sons to protect the structures which they left to us as a memorial when these very same sons are pulling their memories down.
Dar es Salaam has many historical buildings but all these buildings with a history need to be preserved and dutifully protected, that is what officials from the office of the conservation of antiquities in Dar es Salaam say.
"We should never allow these structures to be sold to investors in the way the Forodhani Hotel building has been sold to Kilimanjaro Hyatt Regency because such a trend will destroy our history". The Parliament too has expressed concern over the deal that looks sealed but some officials claim the sale is done and sealed. The Forodhani building as it is well known has a very long history that dates back from the German colonial era, when it was used as a hotel club and politicians, that is where they socialized while gazing at ships and dhows ply in and out of the Dar harbour bay.
Upon the defeat of the Germans, British troops continued to use the building using it as residence for the Governor of the British colony- Tanganyika. There was at the time, a kitchen, a store room and a bedroom for the British Governor as well as other facilities of the hotel.An official from the Department of Antiquities in Dar es Salaam who preferred anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter said part of Forodhani area was initially sold to the Sukari plantations and the Zambia government which had to erect its embassy building.
At independence the British Governor handed the building over to the Government of Tanzania. In the initial years, almost 50 years ago, the building was turned into the first tourism training institute.
The official from the office of conservation of antiquities further says that the college thereafter given to High Court of Tanzania which renovated the building to house the Court of Appeal.

Bongoyo marine reserve

Sunday Adventures: Bongoyo Marine Islands

Posted: Monday May 22, 2006 4:27 PM BT

By Jaston Kenan Kalagho

 ( A view Bongoyo island in Dar es salaam Photo by Kenan Kalagho)
The precious Bongoyo Marine Islands on the Indian Ocean in Tanzania opens old wounds of slavery and war. On the Bongoyo Marine Islands lie all races, of our fore fathers from all walks of life. It might be a chance for you to learn about your ancestors on the islands. Jaston Kenan Kalagho, a journalist with Procurement News Magazine in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania shares the story with us.

Bongoyo has a vast sandy area for sun bathing after a dive in the Indian Ocean waters. The only draw back is the scarcity of huts for shelter after hot sunny hours on the island.

(Tourists ready to  embark the boat on their way back from bongoyo Photo by Kenan Kalagho)
Hundreds of people from all over the world come here to discover and experience the tales of German troops who, not only fought in World War 1 and left, but built a monument to remind people of their presence on the island.

Tourists are not allowed to spend a night on the island-lying10 kilometers off the north coast of Dar es Salaam. To reach the Island, one has to use a boat.
I started visiting the nearest Bongoyo Island, having heard of its old standing German House.

( Tourists enjoying the view and shades at Bongoyo island in Dar es salaam Photo by Kenan Kalagho)
I had heard about Bongoyo a long time ago when I was still a Form One secondary school student at Khondowe in Northern Malawi where Dr David Livingstone, like these Germans, left his marks by building a secondary school, hospital, the Chapel House and the Stone House-now being used as a museum and a camping site for tourists visiting the place.

Khondowe, standing 900 meters above Lake Malawi, is now called Livingstonia after David Livingstone unlike these islands in Tanzania which have traditional names.

On the other side of Bongoyo Island Marine Reserve lies a beautiful beach which is silent all the time. Though not a popular tourist attraction, it has magnets of its own, like a vast sandy area where people can warm themselves after cooling their bodies in the ocean.

I have always wanted to see how the German House at Bongoyo Island looks and the style these people had in mind. I couldn't, therefore, resist walking through the two-hour foot path in the thick Bongoyo Forest with only sound waves and birds to keep me company as I made my way to the memorial building.

The building, founded many years ago by unknown fishermen before the Marine Park Reserve of Tanzania took control of the islands, still stands firm and thick in the face of hard blowing winds from the ocean.

Standing on the island, the German House reminds tourists of the German leader Adolf Hitler, especially those who have read the Diary of Anne Frank which talks about the ill-treatment of Jews in concentration camps.

The diary gave me a minute to think of how cruel these troops might also have been during the World War 1 from 1914-1918 as I looked at the caves which have a capacity to hold more than 800 people.

It is difficult to imagine how these caves were dug on this hard rock. Unlike on the other island of Mbudya, the only interesting features I saw on this island were the two old and dilapidated graves surrounded by an arc of five baobab trees.

The tombs on Mbudya Island attract more than just tourists. Witch doctors, artists and soccer teams are also attracted for what tour guide Pius Majembe explained as good fortune.

While on my way to the other island of Pangavile and Funguyasine, I was stopped and told that "tourists are not allowed to set their foot on the islands." Thus, I had to proceed to Sinda Island where most of the known history of Tanzania concerning the coastal area is well recorded.

The Tanzania interior has a number of important pre-historic sites, like the infamous Olduvai Gorge where the first remains of early man were discovered by Dr Leaky. Unfortunately, more attention has been drawn to the coast where the Arabs established trading posts since the first century AD to en-route slaves and other products from the interior.

Sinda Island is not left out from history. I had an opportunity to set off from Sunrise Beach Resort to the island in the middle of April as part of my tour of the five Marine Islands.

On the way, I was directed by Waunga Issa, a boat captain of Sunrise Beach Resort. It will cost you US$50 (K7,000) to travel from the resort to the island and US$11 (K1,540) and US$9 (K1,260) from Sea Cliff Hotel to Bongoyo and Mbudya Islands respectively.

A 30-minute cruise from the beach resort leads you to the beautiful Sinda Island with a number of pre-historic slave buildings.

At the beautiful Sinda Beach lies an ancient hut with very thick walls. The structure, constructed with six rooms and windows, is believed to have been built in the 14th century during the slave trade period.

"This hut is believed to have been storage for captured slaves from Central and Western Tanzania by Arabs before being sent to Zanzibar and transported to the Middle East and Europe," said Issa, who seemed to know a bit of history.

Inside, there was a vast hollow in the middle of one open room. This hollow had a tunnel dug from underground and connected to yet another vast hollow outside the building from where a slave on sale could be singled out and make an appearance to the buyers by passing through the underground tunnel.

Outside the house there is a huge hole with four corners connected to another tunneled underground from where slave guards could keep watch in case slaves escaped.

However, the only thing that will upset you here is that there are no footpaths leading to these old memorial houses. One has to put up with insect bite and thorns in order to reach these points. This is discouraging, especially to a first visitor.

( A view Bongoyo island in Dar es salaam Photo by Kenan Kalagho)
Looking at the house, I was reminded of terrible stories about the treatment of slaves by the Arabs when, as primary school pupils, we were taught about slave trade and how slaves were captured and sent to the Middle East and Europe to work in plantations.

These century old huts, the underground tunnels, the caves and the huge hole outside the house at the island make you recall all the ancient history, especially when you gallop along another small ancient hut believed to be the house of a Sultan, said to have been a slave major trade merchant.

It is believed that the Sultan came and settled here for more than 30 years during the slave trade era. History has it that between 7th and 10th century, some Arabs began to take advantage of their established familiarity with East Africa.

I have been to many places like Ngorongoro and other areas in Tanzania but one unique thing about Marine Islands is that tour guides hardly ask you for anything for the services rendered.

The Marine Islands, with their beautiful beaches, are rich in history. You can visit the islands at any time except from December to May. As I was heading back via the Sunrise Beach Resort, flashbacks about our grand parents, who fell into the hands of Arabs, kept nagging me. I shed tears.

East African Business Week (Kampala)

EU to Inject 35 Million Euros in EAC Fisheries

Kenan Kalagho

11 September 2011

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Dar es Salaam — The European Union is in the process of approving around Euro 35 million to support the improvement of the quality of fisheries products from East Africa destined to the European Union and other Western countries' market to ensure compliance with demanded international standards.

The Head of the European Union delegation to Tanzania, Ambassador Tim Clarke, said in Dar es Salaam last week while launching the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACE) workshop that brings together different experts of fisheries from East African region and other countries around the world.
Ambassador Clarke said that later this month, the EU will hold discussions in Zanzibar with East African countries in order to clear the way for approving the financial assistance.
He said that part of the assistance will help the Tanzania Bureau of Standards and other institutions within the East Africa Community involved in the fisheries sector to ensure that the quality of fish exports to the European Union and other countries around the world is met.

The financial assistance will also improve the lives of individuals as their products will be able to find the market in the European Union as well as protecting peoples' lives by ensuring the safety of their food.
"That the TRACE workshop on fisheries being held in Dar es salaam that is aimed at ensuring the quality of products for East African region and other countries seek not just at helping the fishing industries but also small scale producers of tea and coffee growers to ensure that quality of their products is attained and enable them sell their products to the European markets".

"The TRACE workshop will enable the private sector, government institutions, donors, East African countries to work together as one entity especially with the formation of the single East African Customs Union," Ambassador Clarke said.
Tanzania and Uganda are some of the big exporters of fish to the European market thus the need to improve the quality of fish exports to meet the market demands.
A few years ago Tanzania was banned from exporting fish products into the EU because health inspectors found traces of mercury in a consignment of fish to Greece, mercury is dangerous to human and animal health. However, Tanzania made improvements on the quality of fish exports.

The Director of the European Union fisheries association, Mr. Didier Carton said the trade control and expert system (TRACE) workshop being held in Dar es Salaam mainly aims at showing the EAC countries the quality and health demands in the European Union market.
Mr Carton said TRACE system also aims at creating good co-operation with countries in the world that deal in fish exports to improve such as Madagascar Seychelles, Comoro and Lesotho, to simplifying trade within the EAC elsewhere in the world.
The TRACE is an integrated web-based veterinary system, maintained by the European Commission on 'Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General,' networking veterinary authorities and business users in all member states EFTA/EEC countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway) and a number of third world countries with whom the Commission has special agreements.

Tanzania to allocate 10% budget on agriculture

National News Agriculture/Food Security

20-November-2011

Source

East African Business Week

Author

Kenan Kalagho 

The Government has pledged to set aside 10% of its annual budget on agriculture and food security in order to attain its vision for food production by 2025. Speaking at the Tanzania Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plan (TAFSIP) High Level Business Meeting conference in Dar es Salaam, the Vice President Dr. Mohammed Ghalib Bilal said Tanzania has already started working on the green revolution plan popularly known as 'Kilimo Kwanza' Agriculture culture.

(Prof Jumanne Maghembe , Tanzania minister for Agriculture and Food security Photo by Kenan Kalagho)
The Vice President said both the green revolution initiative of Tanzania mainland and the Agriculture Transformation Initiative of Zanzibar are achievable. The initiatives aims at boosting the economy and living standards of Tanzanians engaged in farming, who constitute over 80% of the population of close to 45 million, most of whom live in abject poverty. In the current budget - 2011/12, the Government has allocated 6.8% of its budget on agriculture out of a total budget of Tshs 13.5 trillion (US$7.8 billion). Dr Bilal said the TAFSIP has come at the right time as the country makes efforts to boost the 'agriculture first' initiative master plan. In order to succeed, Dr Bilal said a number of bottle necks and impediments needed to be ironed out - these include construction of rural infrastructure such as irrigation canals, markets for the produce, farming education, appropriate seeds, and provision of fertilizers. The Vice President assured that the land conflicts between indigenous populations and large scale investors will be sorted out to allow for big investors to start projects. The Minister for Agriculture Food and Security Professor, Mr Jumanne Maghembe, said the agreement signed under the 'Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)' in 2010 was a positive step to implement the challenges of food security. Prof Maghembe said Tanzania was in a better position to succeed because after all because 95% of all foods consumed in the country were locally farmed in the country. He said the TAFSIP program seeks to achieve at least a minimum of 6 percent growth in the agriculture sector will aim to help small holder farmers, pastoralists and agro-pastoralists and fishing households, who will be helped to adopt improved agricultural practices for which the government needed to allocate a minimum of 10% of its budget. "It was important for the country to look on the best ways of improving the irrigation systems which is only 1%, and also improve the availability of improved seeds to attain the envisaged increased in agricultural production," the Minister stressed. The chairman of Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI), Felix Mosha, underscored that there was need for the private sector to engage fully in this sector. However, he urged the Government to show serious political will and commitment in implementing the 'kilimo kwanza' initiative and to help the small farmers by using partly the large-scale farmers. This partnership has shown positive results in areas which grow sugar cane whereby the small farmers become contract producers. The partnership reduces the investment by large scale farmers as it benefits the farmers who get assured of the market for their products. The Tanzania Agriculture Food Investment plan conference was attended by different stakeholders, including representatives of the private sector, the civil society, development partners and farmers and also representatives from the African Union. The ten-year TAFSIP investment plan being unveiled by the government of Tanzania is expected to cost the government some $5.3b when the program is fully implemented by 2016.- East African Business News

Address peoples' concern

East African Business Week (Kampala)

East Africa: 'Address Peoples Concern'

Kenan Kalagho

8 August 2011

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Dar Es Salaam — The East African Cooperation can only be implemented effectively within the region if the information gathered within the member states about the achievements and challenges of the Customs Union, Common Market, including other East African protocols are addressed effectively.
Speaking during in Dar es Salaam during the launch of Information Resource Centre (IRC) at the ministry of EAC in Dar es salaam, the Deputy Minister for East African Cooperation.
Dr. Abdallah Juma Abdallah said that the information resource centre aimed at availing information on trade and investment opportunities and also act as a source of knowledge for Tanzanians and East African people.
The deputy minister said that the launch of IRC in Tanzania was one of the good progresses of how the East African states will address issues to its public and this was an achievement being realized as a result of the unity as a result of the states integration since the inception of the current East African Community in 1999. He urged the IRC in Tanzania to ensure that the centre addresses issues on policies made within the community.
"The centre should be on the fore front to collect, organize and disseminate different information being documented in different media houses about the East African cooperation so that such information can be gathered and be accessed to the public in one centered place", he said and added
That the resource centre should act as an information research centre and be able to link and make other EA states have easy access to information. He however noted that besides the achievements attained, like the inception of the customs union in 2005, and the common market in July 2010 there were some constraints like tariff barriers and moving towards having one customs authority which needs to be addressed as far as the EAC is concerned in order for the member states to benefit more from the region.
He also noted that with the massive improvements of science and technology in the world, there was need for the East African community to provide capacity building to its people in order to let the public have access to computer and online information as most of the majority population within East Africa lacks computer skills.
On his part the German Ambassador to Tanzania Mr Klaus Peter Brandes said that it was important to note that integration is a long process that aims at benefiting political, trade, peace and economic growth potentials to its citizens.
Mr. Brandes said that the integration was the best way where progress about the stability, between nations, economic growth, and peace can be observed with an aim of benefiting the people on the ground.
The Ambassador also underscored that information was crucial element in as far as a democratic country is concerned and that there was need to make sure that the EAC strengthen the use of information within its region.

East Africa's biggest democracy

Tanzania: East Africa’s biggest democracy

Sunday, 04 December 2011 13:33 Kenan Kalagho

FOUR  PRESIDENTS IN 50 YEARS: Tanzania this week celebrates 50 years of independence from British colonial rule. The country has had a stable period since its founding father Julius Nyerere (1961 - 1985) handed power to Al Hassan Mwinyi (1985 - 1995) who handed over power to Benjamin Mkapa (1995 - 2005) who then handed over to the incumbent Jakaya Kikwete (from 2005).

DAR ES SALAAM - Tanzanians across this vast territory, have everything to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their independence on  December 9, 1961 when they received their freedom from the United Kingdom.
The country was then called Tanganyika until it united with Zanzibar in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania.
The history of the people of Tanzania, which is inhabited by over 120 tribes - mostly different in their cultures and languages- can be traced centuries back. However, from the slave traders and Indian Ocean markets emerged the Kiswahili language which to date unites the people of Tanzania and indeed East African.
In 4th century AD the Bantu-speaking people began to migrate into Tanganyika. They brought along iron tools and weapons. People on the east coast of Africa had contact with the Mediterranean civilizations through foreign traders who plied the Indian Ocean coast in search of wealth. The Persians and later the Romans sailed as far as Tanganyika.
Later, in the 8th century, Arab merchants sailed to this part of the African continent bringing with them the Islam religion and ever since many Tanzanians have been converted Muslims. Many Arabs settled along the coast and eventually traders came from as far away as India and China.
In the 11th century AD the ancestors of the Maasai began to migrate to Tanzania from southern Sudan. Most of them arrived between the 15th century and the 18th century. The first European to reach Tanzania was a Portuguese explorer named Vasco Da Gama who arrived in 1498.
However, the Portuguese rule did not extend inland. At first the Portuguese were peaceful, but not for long. In 1503 a ship commanded by Rui Lorenco Ravasco came to Unguja Island of Zanzibar. The Portuguese captured 20 Arab dhows and killed about 35 people. The ruler of Zanzibar, the Mwinyi Mkuu was forced to submit, who grant the Portuguese access to Zanzibar islands as a port of call for  Portuguese ships seeking food and fresh water. He also had to pay tribute to Portugal. In 1505 the Portuguese captured Mombassa port in Kenya and in 1056 they captured Pemba Island of Zanzibar. In 1510 the people of Unguja Island and Pemba Island rebelled, but they were crushed by the Portuguese.
During the 16th century the Portuguese took control of the coast and they built forts. In 1560 they founded Zanzibar town. However, the Portuguese also introduced two plants from Brazil - cassava and cashew nuts. The Portuguese only controlled the coast of Tanganyika till the 17th century when they were driven out by Arabs from Oman. The Arabs captured Unguja in 1652. The last Portuguese were expelled from Pemba island in 1695.
In the 18th century and 19th century Arab slave traders took huge numbers of slaves from Tanganyika and exported them to the Gulf states where they were resold to Arabs or to European colonies in the Indian Ocean. In 1812 a man named Saleh bin Haramil introduced cloves to Zanzibar which soon became a major export. Clove plantations were worked by African slaves.
In the 19th century Europeans began to explore inland Tanzania. In the 1840s two Germans, Johann Ludwig Krapf and Johannes Rebmann reached Mount Kilimanjaro. In 1857 two Britons - Richard Burton and John Speke reached Lake Tanganyika. Then in 1885 the Germans began taking over the region led by Karl Peters. He formed a company, the German East Africa Company (Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Gesellschaft).
Karl Peters persuaded African chiefs to make treaties with his company. Legally Peters acted independently of the German Government. Nevertheless his government approved his actions.
Meanwhile, the British took control of the island of Zanzibar, but in 1890 Britain and Germany signed a treaty dividing the area between them. Britain took Zanzibar and Germany took Tanganyika. Then in January 1891 the German Government took direct control of the new territory.
From the start Germans faced resistance. The first uprising was the Abushiri revolt of 1888. The people on the coastal areas resented German interference and they rose in revolt led by Abushiri bin Salim al-Harth, but was crushed by Germans.
From 1891 to 1898 the Germans fought the Hehe people of southern highlands.  The Hehe were defeated and their leader, Mkwawa, who committed suicide instead of being taken prisoner. In 1905-07 came the Maji Maji rebellion in rebellion against forced labour on cotton plantations and that lead to the whole of southern Tanganyika to rise in rebellion.
The rebellion was crushed after the Germans adopted a 'scorched earth' policy. At least 100,000 people died both as a result of the fighting and as a result of starvation. Between 1909 and 1913, some 250 tonnes of dinosaur bones were discovered at Tendaguru, north of Lindi and shipped to a museum in Berlin.
During the 1914 First World War a small German force, led by Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, was defeated. When a British force landed at Tanga in November 1914 it was defeated and fled leaving many weapons in German hands. The British invaded again in 1916, but they were unable to defeat the Germans.
However, by 1917 the Germans in Tanganyika were running out of food and ammunition so they turned to guerrilla warfare. They continued to fight until Germany itself surrendered in November 1918.
After the war Tanganyika was handed over to the British as a protectorate under the League of Nation - now the UN. In 1925 Sir Donald Cameron became the first Governor.
In 1929 Africans began to mobilize by forming the Tanganyika African Association in Dar es Salaam disguised as a social club although it had political aims until the 1950s when emerged as political force of sorts.
Thus in 1953 Julius Nyerere was elected president of the Tanganyika African Association. In 1954 it was renamed the Tanzania African National Union (TANU). It campaigned for independence with the slogan Freedom and Unity (Uhuru na Umoja). TANU having been a protectorate, Mwalimu Nyerere demanded for freedom from the 'protectors' from the UN which made things easier that countries that were colonies such as Kenya, Rhodesia - now Zimbabwe and Zambia. The UN was accommodating to the independence idea and the British agreed to let go the real estate. TANU participated in elections for the legislative council in 1958 and 1959 in an environment that obliged two-thirds of the seats to be reserved for non-Africans.
In 1960 that restriction was removed, and TANU won almost all the seats. The move to independence was now unstoppable and Tanzania became independent on 9 December 1961 with Julius Kambarage Nyerere Nyerere, - a teacher by profession, as first prime minister. A year later on 9th December 1962 Tanganyika became a republic and Mwalimu Nyerere became its first president.
Modern day Tanzania
The armed revolt in 1964 in Zanzibar against the Sultanate regime, led by Abeid Amani Karume - speeded up Nyerere's dream to unite Africa. That was an era of Pan-Africanism. In 1967 Nyerere adopted a policy of socialism popularly known as 'Ujamaa' under the Arusha Declaration which was a blue print of the social development patterned on the Russian socialism, but this ujamaa was restricted to the Tanganyika side as Zanzibar pursued capitalistic policies.
Nyerere planned to create huge communes where people would be  encouraged/forced to move into to produce food and live in brotherhood.
It also entailed nationalization of properties such as plantations of tea, coffee, sisal, buildings  and banks, among others. The policy proved disastrous for Tanzania's economy because it did not receive honest support from leaders and the people alike. Agricultural production slumped and the Tanzanian economy was wrecked. Furthermore by 1973 only about 20% of the population had moved to Ujamaa villages. So Mwalimu Nyerere virtually forced people to move from their ancestral homes to communes, and by 1977 about 80% of the population had been resettled.
The war against forces of Idi Amin of Uganda in October 1978 after a invasion of Kagera region destabilized Tanzania's economy. The country sank into heavy external debt. International donors demanded reform in return for help, but Mwalimu Nyerere was unwilling to change his policies. So in 1985 he resigned handing over power to Ali Hassan Mwinyi who spent the next 10 years dismantling the Ujamaa policy.
Mwinyi privatized state-owned enterprises to cut the mounting subsidy burden, and encouraged foreign investments. It has since steadily attracted many investors in the tourism sector, mining especially for gold, and road transport, among others In 1995, Mkapa succeeded President Ali Hassan Mwinyi (1985-1995) - a Zanzibari who served two terms.
In 2005 Jakaya Kikwete was elected president.

Tracing Amboni limestone caves

Sunday Adventures: Tracing the caves of Amboni
by Jaston Kenan Kalagho, 25 June 2006 - 07:14:04

Though I was not too worried about the rain, what worried me most was when I couldn’t make it on Saturday but rather on Sunday and wondered whether Sunday was a good day for a tourist to visit the old historical natural limestone caves of Amboni, located some 400 kilometers from the Tanzania capital Dar es Salaam.

(Mr Tabu Mtelekezo explaining to a tourist while at Mzimuni inside the amboni cave Photo by Kenan kalagho)
The historical limestone caves were created by the movement of the earth’s crust, penetrated by rain water containing carbon dioxide and the acid solution slowly dissolved the limestone to form a network of underground caverns estimated to extend over a 500 kilometre area.
A five-hour non-stop drive from Dar es Salaam leads you to Tanga, one of the oldest townships since colonial period. It was a surprise for me to find a group of 20 foreign tourists with about 12 nationals at 9 am already at the site, more especially bearing in mind that this was a Sunday morning.
The group was waiting for the tour guide to lead them through the exciting caves of Amboni located about eight kilometers off Tanga township.
“Here there is a secret of God,” explained Tabu Mtelekezo, a tour guide at the historical caves who, as I discovered later, is well acquainted with a number of different paths one comes across inside the ever dark caves and are the most extensive limestone caves in East Africa.
“It is only with a torch that you can navigate through these caves otherwise you will never find the way out,” he said.
There are about 14 caves with fascinating chambers inside the Amboni cave, all of which are natural underground limestone caves formed during the natural Jurassic period age some 150 million years ago, Tabu explained as we made our first stop at the Mzimuni Chamber inside the huge Amboni cave that took us almost an hour to tour.
Mzimuni, which literally means spirit in the local dialect, is a holly place for sacrifice and worship inside the cave, Tabu explained, pointing towards the cave full of traditional local tools believed to be offerings from local residents.
The cave is believed to house various spirits and holds a great religious significance for many of the local tribes. During our tour, we saw a ceremonial cavern at Mzimuni filled with offerings like obsidian, coins, blades and pottery. Mzimuni is also used as a place of fertility offerings for barren couples.
These different tribes who come here for worship, according to Tabu, include the Ndigo, Bodei, Sambaa and Segeju. Their practices originate from their forefathers since the 16th century and are still being practised today.
It is also believed that during the colonial German occupation in Tanzania, Europeans used to come to this place for their celebration ceremonies, where they could even spend nights.
From here, we were led into a tiny 12 metre concentrated crawling path leading us into one of the hiding places of the famous historical colonial fighters Paul Hamisi of Tanzania and Osale Otangu of Kenya, who fought the Mau Mau revolution which led to Kenya’s independence in 1963.
It is said that the two men, believed to be of Jaluo and Sambaa tribes respectively, made Amboni cave their hiding place during the independence revolution. The white administration during the colonial period announced a US$10 bounty on their heads in early 1956.
As we navigated further inside the caves, Tabu was eager to tell and show us every extraordinary, fascinating natural crystal formation features found inside the caves, which are a result of rock disintegration due to water forces some 200 millions years ago. 

(The entrance point at the amboni cave in Tanga, the cave is a great attraction to tourist in Tanzania Photo by Kenan kalagho)
Inside the caves we saw an elephant rock shaped feature, a human-like shaped footprint, shape of fingerprints, a chair-shaped rock, a hoof shape, a rock shaped like an East African and African map.
“This is a holy place for most Moslems who visit the caves, usually they bow down on their knees and pray here,” said Tabu while advancing to point to a Quaranic shape and Arabic writings which are all natural.
“No human being has ever been involved in shaping these features,” added Tabu, while showing us the Bible-shaped rock and the shape of the Virgin Mary at a height of some 30 metres.
In our expedition, we also came to another chamber formed by the physical process and at one point winged bats could be seen circling the Madonna-like statue while the replica of the famous New York city Statue of Liberty is clearly seen at another point.
We also visited passages which, if followed Tabu claimed, would lead to Mount Kilimanjaro in Moshi region bordering Kenya to the north, a distance of about 500 kilometres and another leading to Mombasa in Kenya. All are natural underground paths.
I personally still do not believe this story even after seeing both hallowed paths, though there have been some reports of fatal accidents when people made the tour unguided. It is believed that in 1941, a white man accompanied by his wife and a dog who had refused a guide from traditional people residing around the area, got lost having followed a path leading to Kilimanjaro mountain.
The path, which is first connected to an entrance of 51 metres deep, is believed to have an underground molten magma. It is said that nobody has ever heard of the couple’s whereabouts, but few months later a dog was spotted dead outside a cave some 500 kilometers near Kilimanjaro Mountains. This is how people came to believe about the link of the path to the mountain of Kilimanjaro.
The Amboni caves were found as early as 1892 by Amboni Company Limited, which was carrying out sisal plantations in the region. It was then reported to the Tanzania government in 1922 but it was not until 1963 when it was given a status of a reserve by the government.
The Amboni caves are worth a visit while in Tanzania.
—Feedback: jaston25@yahoo.com

Q and A with TIC Director Mr. Raymond Mbilinyi

Q & A with CEO of Tanzania Investment Centre

Sunday, 09 October 2011 21:01 Kenan Kalagho & Anna Sombida

The East African Business Week correspondent Kenan Kalagho and Anna Sombida spoke with the Acting Executive Director of Tanzania Investment Centre, Raymond Mbilinyi, to know about the state of investments in Tanzania. Below are excerpts. 

(Mr Raymond Mbilinyi, the Acting Director of Tanzania Investment Center Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
What is the current status of investments in Tanzania?
 We expect the investment to increase by 40% this year recording 750 investment projects as compared to last year where 309 investment projects were recorded and this will be the second climax we will have recorded in a period of 10 years.

How does Tanzania Fair in the EAC region in terms of investment?
Early this year, the World Investment Report showed Tanzania as ranking second after Uganda with FDI worth $700 million whereas Uganda ranked first in the region with $846 million of FDI.

There has been a trend in Tanzania whereby foreign investors claim to invest huge sums of money in different projects, but how do you vet the claimed investment value if they really invested that much in projects. Does the TIC have a desk to verify these claims?
Yes, we have a department that verifies these claims of investment.
We also have the Department of Facilitation and the Department of Research which conduct research to verify the investors' claims and the problems the investors face. There is also the
On the other hand TIC also makes physical on-site surveys of the investment projects to understand to vet the reports.         
However, it is not always that all investors who come to invest in Tanzania succeed 100% with their investments. In the last two years, for example, we have had experiences of economic crisis and these have been some of the problems that befalls investors to take off with their projects. The other issue is land problems and difficulties in obtaining loans from the banks.
 We have witnessed the changing of names by several companies every five years of businesses, the recent being Movenpick and Kempenski Hotels and Telecommunication companies, what does that mean to Tanzania revenue and tax holidays?
There is no problem in changing names. This is just a process that happens all over the world. It is like purchasing of companies, branding and change of management. What is important to understand is that it is only the projects, not change of name benefits from the tax exemptions initially, such as construction materials, but if the company gets sold or changes name or management after the take off, it continues to pay tax as per its registration requirement.

 Do you think this trend brings positive results to the economy of Tanzania especially considering that every new investor is given tax exemptions from  for a period of five years?
A: We don't have tax exemption for five years, what we do have is exemption on capital duty like in construction materials for investment projects, equipments or importation of machines where tax is removed from such materials being used in the construction.

 

Bajaj, Dar es Salaam’s indispensable taxi

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Bajaj, Dar es Salaam’s indispensable taxi 

Monday, 13 February 2012 08:06 Kenan Kalagho

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA- Until the year 2010 Dar es Salaam had no room for the Indian Bajaji and or a tricycle to be used as a means of transporting passengers.
Today it is a common feature around Dar es Salaam.

The Indian Bajaji was allowed on the streets to ease the need for transport services in the city after it became clear that taxis couldn't handle the increased number of passengers. It was also one way through which the government wanted to create more jobs.
Omary Rajabu owns one, and says it generates some good revenue at a time when everything - from food commodities to transportation - is near to impossible.
"I learnt to drive the Bajaji in one day but after  almost a week or two I was comfortable on the road," Rajabu says. "I can now make Tshs15,000 (US$10) a day and that is enough to survive on in Dar es Salaam.

(A Bajaji driver ready to transport a passenger in dar es salaam, passengers preffer Bajaji than Taxis because they are less expensive Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
While other people may prefer the motorbike commonly known as the "boda boda", which is relatively cheaper than the Bajaji, most customers prefer to hire the Bajaji due to its safety record.
"We do have customers of all sorts, those with  money and those with little, you see, we are cheaper compared to taxis. Customers can hire us for as low as US$ 0.6 which is the minimum price,"Rajabu says as he approaches a customer who is enquiring about the services.

(A Bajaji driver on the road with a passenger in dar es salaam, passengers preffer Bajaji than Taxis because they are less expensive Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
The customer is ready to pay him S$1.35) for five km distance which would have cost the customer almost $3.18 by taxi, but Rajabu refuses an offer and directs her to the other Bajaji driver.
"We have our own union and you will always find me at this place if you need my services" Rajabu says.
While all the taxis operating in Dar are painted white besides the yellow, green and blue stripes for Kinondoni, Ilala and Temeke districts respectively as a way of increasing safety to passengers hiring them, Bajaji operators enjoy this flexibility and you will usually come across Bajaji of all sorts of colours, red, green, blue yellow, you name it.

(Taxis drivers rests outside kariakoo market in Dar es salaam, business is hard for taxi drivers these days with the introduction of Bajaji in transportation sysytem Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
"We usually receive many customers than "bodaboda" and or taxi operators because we usually go for even smaller routes of say, a kilometer route which we usually charge customers a mere 1,000/= (US$0.6)".
He says with the hot weather Dar es Salaam is experiencing, most people prefer to use Bajaji because they are not as hot as or  boda boda where a customer is exposed to direct sun while for the taxi hire, customers will usually complain of sweating especially if they are stuck in a traffic jam.
"With the increase in fuel prices, a passenger will always be asked to pay more for his trip if he or she requests for  air conditioning services, while with the Bajaji there is enough ventilation even when there is traffic jam, " Rajabu says.

(Taxis drivers rests outside kariakoo market in Dar es salaam, business is hard for taxi drivers these days with the introduction of Bajaji in transportation sysytem Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
"The Bajaji consumes little fuel compared to a taxi." "I usually use $4.45 fuel on my daily trips and still come up with a profit of US$9.55, that is a good business and am almost one year old in this trade.
Whereas this may be good news for the operators and passengers, it is a tragedy to the taxi business.  Mohamed Rashid, a taxi driver who says since the introduction of the Bajaji, he hardly makes more than tz30,000 (US$19.10) a day.
The challenge facing is the high level of risk as the Bajaji have a high accident ratio since most operators not been to driving schools in order for them to obtain driving permits.
Apart from that the Bajai has really changed the life of many.

Land shortage dogging Tanzania housing corporation

Land shortage dogging Tanzania housing corporation

East African Business Week

Monday, 13 February 2012 08:10 Kenan Kalagho

Muungano Saguya, is the  Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for National Housing Corporation (NHC). East African Business Week's Kenan Kalagho talked to him about the company achievements since its inception in 1962. Here are excerpts:

(Mr Muungano Saguya, the Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for National Housing Corporation Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
QN: Tanzania is experiencing a massive shortage of housing and you recently introduced the mortgage finance system in partnership with seven local and regional commercial banks in the country.  How beneficial is this system to the local Tanzanian?
ANS: The government reinstated the system, that has led the National Housing Corporation to sign an MoU with  seven local and regional commercial banks including National Bank of Commerce, KCB, National Microfinance Bank, Exim Bank , Bank of Africa, Azania and Commercial Bank of Africa.
With this system, Tanzanians will get loans from these banks to buy new houses that will be constructed by the NHC.

QN: What role will the National Housing play to make sure that more Tanzanians own homes using the mortgage finance system?
ANS: The National Housing Corporation leads as the corporation that has been assigned by the government to provide good shelter for citizens. One of the aims is that the NHC constructs many houses to enable more Tanzanians own homes.

QN: What effects will this mortgage finance have to the economy of Tanzania and its citizen at large?
ANS:The  mortgage finance system is a forum through which many citizens will have access to loans from the banks and the positive effects on this is that it will boost production of the housing industry in the country and this will in turn reduce rental charges. This will mean that the economy will grow because people will have access of loans from banks and build houses for business and therefore generate revenue for the government through taxation.
This can also have a negative impact to the economy because the housing sector is a very fragile industry, which means that if a lot of money is borrowed from banks to finance construction and these constructed houses fail to attract more customers, that will mean that the borrowed money and its interest rates charged will fail to be remitted to the banks and this might lead to the economic crunch.

QN: Recently the National housing  have focused much on public-private partnership in as far as the construction of houses is concerned. Is this partnership open to all individuals willing to partner with the National Housing Corporation and what are the conditions for one to enter into this partnership?
ANS: We had this policy of public-private partnership since 1988 because we realized that the National Housing Corporation had no financial resources, but this policy was revised in 2008 and the joint venture activities were halted in 2010. This was in a bid to create a win-win situation because we realized that the National Housing was not being treated fairly in these policies. We are hoping that the policies will be revised this year and hopefully the private-public partnership will be reinstated in a more meaningful way that will benefit all the parties.

QN: There has been a negative perception about the National Housing failure to beat the growing demands of housing in the country, what expectations should the public have to the National Housing Corporation especially with the mortgage system in place?
ANS: This is true because the National housing Corporation was mandated to cater for the housing industry in Tanzania, however there were various hindrances that were holding back the growth of the national housing sector in the country like the issue where the national housing could not evict its tenants who fail to pay for their rents except with an order from the court. These laws and many others which have now been revised were a hindrance to us and for the past five years we have barely been able to construct less than 600 houses.

QN:  It is said that the construction industry contributes barely 0.3% to the national economy, is there any way of reversing this trend?
ANS: We still believe that the housing sector can play a great role in contributing to the GDP of this country because housing is a business, employment and can lead someone to get capital from different banks. We believe that if the government can play its part in this sector, it can contribute heavily to the national economy. However with the new system of mortgage finance that the National Housing Corporation have signed with different local and regional banks, we can be sure of realizing this dream.

QN: The National Housing Corporation strategic plan  (for 2010/2011-2014/2015) targets on constructing 10,000 houses for middle income earners and 5,000 for low income earners. Why should the target dwell much on middle income earners yet the housing demand is even worse for the low income earners?
ANS: People with low income need to have subsidy that means that the profit that will be obtained from the 10,000 houses that will be constructed for the middle income earners will be used to subsidize the low income earners and if the profit beats the margin then the number of houses to be constructed for the low income earners might also increase.

QN: The country celebrated 50 years of its independence in December.  What would you say are some of the challenges that you have faced during the period?
We have survived but face challenges like the scarcity of land. There has also been a negative mindset of most Tanzanians to see the National Housing Corporation houses being rented or sold at a low cost. This mindset needs to be reversed.

Food prices remain high on dry season regional demand

 East African Business Week

Food prices remain high on dry season regional demand

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - Food prices in Dar es Salaam continued to rise despite the end of the festive season.
A random survey made last week by East African Business Week at the city's main market of Kariakoo in Dar es Salaam, revealed that there has been a sharp increase in prices of food produce since the end of the festive season. The survey showed that the best rice, which during the just ended season was being sold at TShs 2,100 (US$1.35) a kilogramme was now hovering around TShs 2,500 (US$1.59) a kg, whereas the lower grade rice that was previously sold at TShs 1,900 (US$1.22) a kg is now selling at TShs 2,200(US$1.35) a kg.

(A customer weighs his options at one of the markets in dar es Salaam. (Photo by Kenan Kalagho)

There has been an increase in prices of commodities such as beans, spices, maize flour, meat and other essentials.
The prices of beef at many Dar es Salaam  butcheries also have shot up from the previous TSh 6,000 (US$3.87) during the festive season to TShs7,000 (US$ 4.45) a kg where as in other places like Buguruni to the outskirts of the city the price of beef has relatively gone down to the previous TShs 5,000 (US$ 3.18) a kg.
The price of maize flour on the other hand has gone up from the previous TShs 800 (US$0.50) a kilo to TShs 1,200 (US$0.76).
Mr Hamisi Mzee, a trader at the Dar es Salaam Kariakoo main market says the prices of food are being driven mainly by the high costs of living in terms of house rent and fuel as well as the country's bad economic shape.
"The costs of fuel and transporting these produce to Dar es Salaam is expensive and this leads us to increase prices as well, says Mzee.  "Even in the houses we are staying in the rent has gone up so high so that you rarely find a room below TShs 30,000  (US$19.10) a month.”
Speaking in Dar es Salaam last week, the Minister of State in the Presidents office,  Civil Society Relations and Co-ordination, Mr Steven  Wassira, said the prices of food in Tanzania were  a result of the increased fuel prices and the cost involved in transporting them to their markets.
"The prices of fuel are very high and these produce needs to be transported from their place of produce to find customers in the cities" the minister said. He said Tanzanians should also know that neighbouring countries like Kenya, Sudan, and Somalia which have been experiencing long droughts have driven the prices of food in Tanzania as well.
Wassira said Tanzania should produce more food in order to get the surplus which will have a positive effect in reducing the escalating of food prices in the country.
"As much as we need investment in agriculture sector, we need to focus on providing  support to Tanzanians so that they move out from the hand hoe system of agriculture to a modern large farming technology which will allow them to produce more food for business benefits," Wassira said.
Wassira noted other challenges like poor infrastructure that hinder the produce from reaching the market. "Tanzania produces more food in Rukwa, Kagera and Kigoma but there are no good roads that connect such places so that food produce can be transported to Dar es Salaam and or across other regions of the country."

E-cargo tracking system starts in Tanzania

(Goods on transit, Dar has launched ECTS in order to protect cargo on transit and ensure its safety Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
EAST AFRICAN BUSINESS WEEK

Monday, 23 July 2012 11:43 Kenan Kalagho 

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA-The much awaited Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) that is aimed at ensuring and monitoring the movements and safety of cargo started operations on July 1 this year after a three months trial.
Speaking exclusively to East African Business Week in Dar es Salaam last week the Acting Director-Taxpayers Service Mr. Allan Kiula said that ECTS, a system which is being overseen by Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has been on trial in order to prove its capability and safety of consignments in Tanzania.
He said the ECTS was introduced after  many complaints about the delays and check-points experiences being undergone by traders in delaying their transit consignments in the country.
"We have had specific time of traders carrying these consignments to reach these check points, failing which a fine was imposed on such traders considering also that there were delays in documents clearance in these checkpoints which were delaying both the traders time and affecting their businesses," Mr. Kiula said.
He said with the effective and smooth operation of ECTS from July 1 this year, will mean that consignments will be delivered on time while the security of such consignments will also be improved.
Mr. Kiula noted however when asked about the high taxes some industries in Tanzania are complaining off as one of the reasons making Tanzania  unfriendly to business in the region, said claims were due to a wrong perception being planted in the minds of some business men and investors which needs to be reversed.
He said the government of Tanzania was trying the best to make sure that it creates an environment that will be conducive to business people especially investors coming in to invest in the country by making reduction of VAT from the previous 20% to the current 18% which is what other EA member states charge with an exception of Kenya which has a 16% VAT.