It was the early 1990s in Arusha. I was a representative of Radio Tanzania (RTD) and the late Benjamin Mkapa-then Minister for Higher Education—was in town representing President Ali Hassan Mwinyi as a mediator in the Burundi peace process. The mission was critical. To navigate the high-stakes tensions between the FDD-led CNDD later CNDD-FDD under…

It has been said time and again that development is not about things. A country cannot be said to experience development simply because it has skyscrapers, bridges and roads. Development is about people, hence the concept of people-centred development. Yet no development can occur without infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways, power plants, ICT networks…

We checked into what would be our new home for the next nine months the International Institute of Journalism in Berlin, located in Friedrichshagen, a suburb south east of that historic German city. The institute was situated in the middle of a thick and vast pine forest, with the nearest settlement and urban train station…

Few things worry parents more than a child with a high fever and a painful sore throat. One common cause of these symptoms is acute tonsillitis a sudden inflammation of the tonsils, which are two small glands located at the back of the throat. Although tonsillitis is common in children, understanding its causes, symptoms and…

In the down bound lift to the underground train, the 60 plus year old English chap, reminds you of what is slowly vanishing as we stroll towards mid 21st century. Public interaction, humour and casualness. “I just got a new job,” he says in typical London Cockney accent. Operating the buttons he lets the elevator’s…

By now, many of the readers of this column must have noticed that I am fond of returning to the wisdom of our ancestors in order to learn crucial lessons for life. Their wisdom, which comes to us in myriad forms such as stories, proverbs, sayings, riddles and rituals, is as wide as the sea…