LEADERS’ TOURS: LIKE INITIATION CAMPS?

 

Adeladius Makwega, Mbagala

 

On April 4, 2026, the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Mwigulu Lameck Nchemba, concluded his several-day tour in Bunda District, which he had begun on July 1, 2026, in Serengeti District, Mara Region.

 

During this tour, several activities took place, including giving citizens the opportunity to raise various grievances directly before the leader and the Tanzanian public.

 

Throughou the entire period, Mwanakwetu closely followed the tour step by step, with a keen eye, noting several observations.

 

One key observation was that, for a long time, national leaders have been conducting tours across different parts of the country; however, there appears to be no follow-up on the grievances raised by citizens after they are heard.

 

“Honorable Prime Minister, I also raised this issue to your predecessor, but nothing was done…”

This sentence reached the ears of Hon. Mwigulu Nchemba.

 

Some believe that nothing has changed, because even if an issue was presented to a previous Prime Minister, the Office of the Prime Minister is not like a jando or unyago initiation camp—temporary structures made of fresh grass to accommodate initiates for only a few days, after which, once the rites are completed, the camp is dismantled.

 

In reality, this is an office with continuity—staff, records, and extensive documentation. Mwanakwetu believes that all officials accompanying the Prime Minister from Dodoma have the responsibility to act on every issue raised in these complaints.

 

From observation, many of these issues cut across multiple sectors and ministries, where the Prime Minister has the authority to question, direct, and enforce implementation—something that is often difficult to achieve at regional levels.

 

During these tours, some question whether Hon. Mwigulu Nchemba himself might be using them to build political popularity, given the current uncertain political landscape in Tanzania.

 

Mwanakwetu cannot dismiss this, as Tanzania’s history shows that many Prime Ministers, after completing their tenure, have harbored presidential ambitions. For example, in 1995, John Samuel Malecela and Cleopa David Msuya entered the race. In subsequent years, Salim Ahmed Salim, Edward Lowassa, Frederick Sumaye, and Mizengo Pinda also demonstrated their desire for the presidency by collecting nomination forms.

 

In this regard, Hon. Kassim Majaliwa is not among them, possibly due to internal CCM processes that settled on a presidential candidate early in 2025; otherwise, he too might have been one of them.

Mwanakwetu believes that Hon. Mwigulu Lameck Nchemba cannot entirely escape this reality.

 

One troubling question arises: what do Presidents and their Prime Ministers truly discuss while working together?

 

Mwanakwetu suspects that there may be hypocrisy—or even subtle encouragement—such as:

 

“You go ahead and pick the presidential nomination form; I am with you so we can complete what we started together.”

 

This perception may stem from the argument that it is unlikely for a Prime Minister to collect nomination forms within a political party only to be eliminated later. It would imply that both the President and the Prime Minister failed in alignment. Worse still, situations where even a Vice President seeks nomination but an ordinary minister is selected instead—this becomes almost absurd.

 

Mwanakwetu sees the possibility of insincerity among top leaders—telling each other what is not entirely true—perhaps to motivate the Prime Minister to work harder, believing he has full support from the President, and therefore seeking public support through frequent tours.

However, Mwanakwetu firmly believes that national leaders’ tours are extremely important. They allow leaders to go to the grassroots, empower regional and local authorities, and understand the real conditions of citizens’ lives.

 

In these tours, it would be better if all top leaders—the President, Vice President, President of Zanzibar, and the Prime Minister (including the Deputy Prime Minister)—conduct nationwide tours simultaneously. This would create space to listen to citizens, address their grievances, and strengthen local leaders, rather than intimidating, dismissing, or punishing them. The focus should be empowerment.

With such an arrangement, if the Deputy Prime Minister is on tour, the other top leaders could divide and cover different regions. Within a short time, the entire country would have been reached. This exercise could be conducted every third month of each quarter.

 

Grievances would be heard, resolved, and properly documented. All directives would be followed up, ensuring that within two months, each issue is addressed. During the next round of tours, leaders would carry records of past grievances and actions taken. For example, if the Deputy Prime Minister visited Tanga Region in the first quarter, the Prime Minister could visit in the second quarter; or if the President of Zanzibar visited in the first quarter, the President of the Union could visit in the next.

 

In this framework, the President of Zanzibar, as a member of the Cabinet, would perform duties across all regions regardless of origin. This also highlights the importance of the Deputy Prime Minister’s role.

 

If implemented effectively, Tanzanians would have the opportunity to evaluate their leaders—from the President to the Deputy Prime Minister—based on their performance and ability to address national issues.

In such a system, incompetent leaders, fraudsters, and agents of hidden interests would have no space to thrive.

 

Mwanakwetu, are you there?

Today, my reader, I wished to reflect with you on these matters arising from the Prime Minister’s tour in Mara Region from July 1–4, 2026.

 

Otherwise, leaders’ tours will be no different from jando and unyago initiation camps.

Have a good day.

makwadeladius@gmail.com
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