The Pace of Sleeping on Red-Hot Embers

Adeladius Makwega – Mbagala

The month of March 2026 has ended in Tanzania, and fellow Tanzanians—brothers and sisters of Julius Nyerere—are crying out to their government as fuel prices have risen sharply.

The perception that the government is doing nothing to resolve this problem is spreading, especially among certain groups within Tanzanian society, which is approaching 72 million people.

As a Tanzanian, Mwanakwetu did not immediately pick up his pen to comment on this situation, even as some people questioned him:

“Makwega, why aren’t you writing anything about this fuel crisis?”

Mwanakwetu received these complaints without responding, but inwardly he said he was working on something, and once finished, he would write about this challenge—because Tanzanians are his people, and he must address their concerns.

On Monday, March 30, 2026, the writer boarded a motorcycle taxi (bodaboda) driven by a young man, paying 3,000 shillings in advance for the trip. The driver got him to his destination on time, but just before arriving, the rider said:

“Mzee, fuel prices have gone up a lot. Diesel and petrol now cost between 4,000–4,400 shillings per liter. Before, I used to buy three liters a day, which lasted all day, and I would earn about 7,000–8,000 shillings per liter—so around 24,000 per day. After subtracting about 9,000 for fuel, I’d be left with 15,000 shillings. Now things have completely changed. If I buy three liters for 12,000 shillings, I need to make 30,000—but there are no customers… the fuel lasts two days, and today you are only my second customer.”

Mwanakwetu arrived at his destination around 4:00 PM and parted ways with the rider.

On March 31, 2026, he conducted a small survey among public and private workers to hear their views. He overheard conversations like:

“When are you going home today? I’m just finishing some work. When you’re done, let’s leave together so we can at least get home. Otherwise, we’ll have to walk! We women will end up with chafed thighs!”

Eventually, a vehicle came and took them home—but the Mwanakwetu wondered how they would manage the next day.

On April 1, 2026, Mwanakwetu encountered a group of people in discussion. After complimenting a woman’s hair, he listened as another woman said:

“The cost of getting to work has doubled—from 3,000 to 6,000 shillings. Monthly, I used to spend 120,000, now it’s 240,000. I’ve calculated and it doesn’t make sense. That 240,000 is what I should be giving my son at university—100,000 for rent, 100,000 for food, and 40,000 for photocopying materials. Worse still, he didn’t get a student loan.

If I spend 240,000 on transport, won’t I be foolish? My son won’t be able to study. So I’ve decided to walk.”

A passerby jokingly said:

“Tell your husband to buy you a car!”

Another responded:

“You’re the husband—go ahead and buy it!”

The joker fell silent and walked away. The group continued:

“Congratulations to them—they’ve raised fuel prices so we can walk and suffer. Even at night, we won’t have the energy to be with our partners. This is what the Makonde call ‘sleeping on burning embers.’”

They eventually dispersed.

On April 2, 2026, Mwanakwetu walked about 3 km—a trip that used to cost 1,000 shillings by motorcycle but had doubled to 2,000. Along the way, many people were walking, while motorcycle taxis honked desperately for passengers. Out of 31 motorcycles he passed, only 11 had passengers, 16 had none, and 3 were not for passenger transport.

After reaching home, Mwanakwetu decided to write this article.

What does Mwanakwetu conclude today?

First, people walking long distances sweat heavily and arrive home exhausted. Along the way, they spend more time reflecting on their lives than those using vehicles. These deep reflections, Mwanakwetu argues, can significantly influence personal decision-making—sometimes negatively.

Second, the motorcycle taxi business may decline or even collapse due to lack of profitability. Tanzanians may revert to walking or using bicycles, and motorcycle imports from China and India could drop significantly.

Third, unemployed youth who depended on bodaboda businesses may turn to crime, potentially destabilizing national security. Criminal elements could exploit these idle youth.

The government, Mwanakwetu argues, should have ensured fuel prices remained stable, especially since current fuel stocks were imported earlier. It should also reduce taxes and levies on fuel to ease the burden on citizens.

To prevent price manipulation and fuel hoarding, institutions such as the police, national security, and the military should conduct joint inspections of fuel stations to stop malpractice.

This is the Mwanakwetu’s reflection, based on observations from late March to early April 2026, on the impact of rising fuel prices in Tanzania and what should be done.

Currently, many citizens feel the government is siding with fuel traders while neglecting the public—a perception that could threaten national unity.