Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend.

Govt to buy weather system from US-based company

This week, a seven-member delegation from Tanzania visited the Enterprise Electronics Corporation (EEC), an Alabama-based commercial weather radar system company, to finalise the purchase of EEC Doppler weather systems to help protect the people and assets of their country, local media reported Sunday.

The delegation was led by Dr Agnes Kijazi, Director General of the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA). 

She was accompanied by Engineer Aron Kasaka, Director of Transport Services, Ministry of Works and Transport; Engineer Mugundu Rambika, Senior Meteorological Engineer; and Benedicto Katole, Meteorological Engineer, Finance and Accounting Manager.

Others are Michael Ntagazawa, Procurement Services Manager Tumaini Hiluka, and manager of International Cooperation, Wilbert Muruje.

They were hosted by William E. Cooper, Mayor of Enterprise and the City Administrator Jonathan Tullos. 

“We are happy to have you in Enterprise. It’s an honour to meet you all,” Cooper said. “Enterprise is fortunate to have a hometown-based company like EEC that has an impact all over the world. It’s nice to know that these systems made right here in Enterprise will help the people and the assets valuable to the life of your country.”

According to reports, the weather radar systems that are being sent to Tanzania were being tested this week. They will be used to expand the TMA’s weather radar network. 

These new tools will further assist the TMA in tracking weather conditions and collecting data to improve agriculture, public safety, and transportation. 

EEC leaders said that being able to plan and act based on accurate weather forecasts provides a vital service to their clients and their respective communities.

EEC, founded in Enterprise in 1971, is the leading manufacturer of weather radar and data collection systems in the world, with 1,200 systems in more than 100 countries.

Uganda protests award of EAC central bank to Tanzania

Uganda has rejected a report by the East African Community verification team awarding Tanzania the right to host the East African Community Central Bank, Uganda’s NTV reported on Sunday. 

Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for EAC Affairs Rebecca Kadaga has accused the team of fraudulently awarding the EAC Central Bank to Tanzania against Uganda, the network reported.

While all EAC member states support the idea of establishing the East African Monetary Institute (EAMI) – which will eventually evolve to become the bloc’s central bank– not all are supportive of the institute being established in Tanzania.

Uganda is not alone in the resistance. Kenya too, with Rwanda and Burundi not particularly on board with the idea either. Kenya and Uganda are questioning the objectivity of the verification exercise.

“The EAC spent resources on a verification conducted by professionals and therefore the outcome should be respected to avoid a duplication, which overburdens taxpayers,” The Citizen newspaper quoted the Tanzanian government through its EAC representative is quoted saying.

Tanzania to launch countrywide cleanliness campaign

Selemani Jafo, the Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office responsible for Union and Environment said on Saturday preparations are underway for the launch of a countrywide cleanliness campaign to be known as “my dustbin.”

Jafo said the campaign will involve placing dustbins in urban centres in all districts and regions across the east African nation.

“The objective of the ‘my dustbin’ campaign is to keep our urban centres clean,” he said. “We don’t want to see rubbish in our urban centres, including food waste, plastic bottles and banana peels.”

He also directed district and regional authorities to make sure that markets at their places remained clean instead of turning them into dumping grounds.

Jafo said experience showed that most of the markets in urban centres were an eyesore with heaps of unattended garbage.

This is it for today and we hope you enjoyed our briefing. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (see below) or following us on Twitter (here) as that is the best way to make sure you do not miss any of these briefings.  And in case you have any questions or comments, please consider dropping a word to our editors at editor@thechanzo.com