A supreme Court in Kenya rules in favour of NASA on their request to review the electoral system: anything Tanzania can learn from Kenya’s Constitution?

NASA is now granted review of the electoral system by the Supreme Court and the report shall be presented on Tuesday.

Despite the results of the review the Supreme Court has done justice. There is any harm to either side rights if the system is checked. It will help to prove the integrity of the system especially if there is no significant discrepancy between the inputs and the outputs. Both Raila and Uhuru shall have no recourse to resort to violent means to protect their  assumptions. Kila mtu ataridhika!

This isn’t 100% perfect but allowing presidential election results to be challenged is a breather to the democratic process. It allows no excuse to any of the parties to engage its supporters in streets hence preserving peace and order post election.

Kenya has its challenges but her Constitution remains the best in East Africa if not in Africa. Tanzania is still in the process of writing a new Constitution I believe that somewhere we gonna come to our senses and produce the best Constitution for us and generations to come. Let’s make the process apolitical and focused to the National interest only, not interest of the parties or individuals at worst.

This is a tricky process it will require a leader who is eager to leave a lasting legacy of justice, fairness and a strong Republic behind. Not someone who is shortsighted and mindful of his/her personal short term goals or party interests but rather on overall national interest beyond partisanship.

President Magufuli has the mettle and energy to take this task on if he decides and I earnestly pray he does! I am so proud at least we had Nyerere who saw what the rest could not see in the 20% of the population who preferred political pluralism. So it is possible, it can be done! Let’s continue pushing for a new Constitution.

Mungu ibariki Tanzania

Mungu ibariki Africa

Congratulations to South Africa for a big step among our young democracies in Africa

Yesterday the Parliament of South Africa concluded President Zuma’s impeachment proceedings by vote to relieve him from power. The results of the vote of no confidence was 198 in favour of the president and 177 against. Looking at the numbers of MPs in the house that means 30 MPs from ANC voted with the opposition, that isn’t a small matter in politics. ANC cannot go wild in celebrations. This is a great achievement for opposition.

Overall ANC has weighed up the pros and cons of removing Zuma prematurely and found it will possibly work against the part in the near future. All in all democracy is working and institutions of governance are independent and doing better comparatively. Zuma was prosecuted in court of law and found guilty of corruption and misappropriation of public resources and was forced to pay. The Parliament has impeached him. I thought this is a step ahead in our young democracies in Africa.

Irrespective of results, congratulations to South Africa and wish them well as they continue to fathom how to address their socioeconomic challenges and the biting inequality among her people. Congratulations to DA under Hon Mmusi Maimane for mobilizing support across part lines. Mr Maimane in my view carries the expectations of many South Africans and he presents the best alternative policies for his country. Mr. Malema of EF has failed to wedge any significant damage to ANC and many South Africans are apprehensive of a Zimbabwean case should a country take a similar stance in addressing the inequality challenges.

The greatest stimulus of mankind is freedom

There is an appetite for anybody who ascends to power to prevent, limit or constrict citizen’s freedom (of course at differing intensity depending on his/her degree of appetite to control those who surround him/her). That tends to happen to anyone. Unless one is prepared and groomed prior to taking the helm of leadership to commit, respect and believe in values of freedom. Short of that there is an insatiable desire to make their (leaders) freedom limitless, and if not governed by a strong Constitutional and legal system citizens can suffer. Development without freedom is not sustainable as also there in insatiable desire for humanity to be free. The more the leaders constrict freedom the more the people would resist maintaining it or if worse seizing it and this very struggle between the two might seriously impede development.

You can’t make a choice between development and freedom. Freedom comes first, colonialism could offer development but freedom offers a quality development the reason why nobody wants colonialism back and people are ready even to pay an ultimate price for freedom. We can’t ask ourselves to dispense with our freedom for development, that isn’t development it is slavery of some kind and I would rather be free to hassle and seek survival and meaning of my life. Democracy is freedom of choice and that is an inalienable right of humanity. Development can and will never be an alternative to freedom, it is inconceivable. My mind can’t take it!  It is inconceivable.

Why should we feel uncomfortable to be criticized? Why do we feel not respected when we are told of our mistakes? Why do we feel offended by someone simply expressing his/her divergent views from ours? We humans, ages and ages has proved we make mistakes, some are commissions and some are omissions. A too restrictive society lacks energy and innovation. In this era of pluralism we need all of us to operate at our maximum intellect and freedom. People need to take some risks and in the process they can err. Freedom allows triangulation hence we can tame errors timely and guarantee our progress.

When was America great? When did it become small if at all it did? Why?

Siasa za Marekani bwana! Kuna mgombea anasema anataka kufanya Marekani iwe kubwa Kwa mara nyingine, hivi ni lini iliwahi kuwa kubwa, Ni wakati gani imekuwa ndogo, Kwa nini? Tukumbuke uchumi wa Marekani Kwa sasa Kwa vipimo vya pato la taifa unaongoza duniani, ni dollar 18,558 ikifuatiwa na China Kwa mbali yaani dollar 11,383. Hapo bado hujalinganisha mambo mengine Kama nguvu za kijeshi na kadhalika. Siasa zina mambo. 
“we want to make this nation great AGAIN” – says one of the two bitterly contending US presidential Candidates, I got time this morning to think about a number of questions; when America was exactly great, when did it become small? Why? We all know the challenges of civil rights including the rights of women to vote America grappled with during her gloomy past. What about the cowardly act of dropping atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WW2, could anyone consider that was greatness? If it was great at that time how could it be small now when her GDP is number one in the world (USD 18,558) and accounts for 24.5% of the global GDP followed by far by China (with a GDP of USD 11,383), when her current president is Barack Obama and has ruled America for two terms? When the most vicious enemy of US and leader of terrorism was taken out with no collateral damage under leadership of the current Commander in Chief, When for the first time America has a woman as the presidential candidate from a major political party? I would think there wasn’t greater time than this! You know what I mean!

GDP statistics source: Knoema: world GDP ranking 2016.

Je, mitambo ya kusindika vyakula Tanzania inatumia “food grade lubricants”?

Jana nilikuwa na rafiki yangu anayehusika na mambo ya viwango tukazungumza mambo kadhaa kuhusu viwango vya bidhaa mbalimbali hapa nchini. Kuna wakati niliwahi kurusha kwenye mtandao mwingine juu ubora wa nondo tunazojengea hapa nchini baada ya kuzifanyia majaribio binafsi. Bahati mbaya kabisa viongozi wetu wa mashirika kama TBS au taasisi kwa ujumla ama hawako au hawashiriki kwa mitandao ya jamii. Nashauri wafanye hivyo ili tusaidiane na umma kuibua matatizo ya viwango.

Tanzania tuna viwanda vya kusindika vyakula na madawa kwa ajili ya matumizi ya wanadamu na mifugo ambayo wengi wetu huila pia au kutumia mazao yake kama maziwa nk. Tukiwa na mjadala na huyu ndg yangu nikaibua hoja ya vilainishi vya mitambo inayosindika vyakula. Katika mitambo hiyo Kuna sehemu tunaita nyeti (critical areas) ambapo chakula kinaweza kutana na vilainishi kiuhalisia kulinda afya ya binadamu nchi zilizoendelea zimeamua tu kwamba mtambo unaosindika vyakula wote ni critical. Hivyo ni lazima kutumia “food grade lubricants” mazao ya plastic zinazotumika kubeba chakula na maji ni lazima ziwe food grade pia.

Sasa swali: je,  viwanda vyetu vinavyozalisha chakula vinatumia food grade lubricants kuepusha uchafuzi wa chakula? Nani anahakikisha hilo linafanyika? Total food grade policy Inatokana na ukweli kwamba mafundi wanaweza kuchanganganya lubricants hivyo kuondoa huo uwezekano ni kutumia food grades kwa mitambo yote ya kusindika vyakula. Na watu wasitoe sababu, kwenye soko tuna hydraulic oil, transmission oil, greases za food grade.

Tujilinde wapendwa na wenye mandate hiyo ni TBS na TFDA.