Dar es Salaam. Twaweza East Africa announced Tuesday that its executive director, Mr Aidan Eyakuze, will step down after serving the position for a decade that saw him “spearhead[ing] transformative initiatives that empowered citizens and amplified their voices in governance.”
Mr Eyakuze, an economist, joined Twaweza, which means “we can make it happen” in Kiswahili in March 2015. He has been responsible for driving the organisation towards fulfilling its mission of enabling citizens to exercise agency and governments to be more open and responsive in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.
An Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow, Mr Eyakuze is credited with strengthening civil society collaboration through initiatives such as the annual Civil Society Week in Tanzania, the People Dialogue Festival in Kenya, and access to information efforts in Uganda.
“Under his leadership, Twaweza made significant strides in advancing its mission of fostering citizen-powered government, resulting in tangible impact across East Africa,” the organisation said.
“Local and national governments responded positively to citizen priorities, and hundreds of thousands of children benefited from improved learning outcomes driven by more motivated teachers.”
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Mr Eyakuze, who will be turning 56 next Wednesday, also served on the Open Government Partnership (OGP) steering committee and the boards of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) and the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP).
Recognised globally for his contributions, Mr Eyakuze was named one of the world’s 50 most influential people revolutionising government by Apolitical and the World Economic Forum in 2021. Most recently, in 2023, he joined the expert team drafting Tanzania’s Development Vision 2050.
“It has been a profound honour to serve with Twaweza over the past ten years,” a statement quoted Mr Eyakuze, reflecting on his journey with the non-governmental organisation.
“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together – our staff, partners, and the citizens we serve – in demonstrating how government can work better for people,” the father of two teenage daughters added.
“Twaweza’s critical work continues, and I have full confidence that the next Executive Director will build on this momentum to take the mission even further.”
Troubles
However, not everyone appreciated Mr Eyakuze’s commitment to fostering citizens’ agency in Tanzania. Others took offence at what he and his team have been doing to create an informed citizenry and promote public transparency and accountability.
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For example, in 2018, authorities in Tanzania confiscated Mr Eyakuze’s passport. They barred him from travelling outside the country, seriously limiting his ability to fulfil his responsibilities as Twaweza’s executive director and his freedoms as a Tanzanian.
The move came a few days after Twaweza published the results of its opinion polls, which showed that then-President John Magufuli’s approval rating fell from 96 per cent in 2016 to 55 per cent in April 2018, a staggering 41 per cent drop in just two years.
Following the publication of the results, the Commission of Science and Technology (COSTECH) threatened Twaweza with sanctions, claiming that the organisation carried out the “research” without first getting the license from the state agency responsible for coordinating and promoting research and technology development activities in Tanzania.
Mr Eyakuze challenged the government’s action in court and lost the case at the High Court of Tanzania.
However, the Court of Appeal ruled in December 2020 that authorities “baselessly” withheld his passport for a long time, ordering the Commissioner-General of the Immigration Services Department to finalise investigations on Eyakuze’s citizenship status within sixty days of its order. He received his passport in February 2021.
Gratitude
Following the announcement that he’ll be stepping down in early March, many people expressed gratitude for Mr Eyakuse’s leadership at Twaweza and his contribution to fostering public transparency and accountability in Tanzania.
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Ms Rebeca Gyumi, Twaweza’s Board director and member, expressed “profound gratitude” for Mr Eyakuze’s “exceptional and visionary leadership during his tenure as Executive Director, adding: “His legacy of impactful leadership and contributions to civic space and open government will continue to resonate within the organization and beyond.”
On his part, Twaweza founder and member Mr Rakesh Rajani Rajani said: “Under Eyakuze’s leadership Twaweza has grown into a deeply respected organization known for its commitment to principle, integrity and creativity – all solid foundations to advance the work to achieve greater impact.”
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Khalifa Said, The Chanzo’s Editor-in-Chief, thanked Mr Eyakuze for his support in growing the publication to become one of Tanzania’s reputable media organisations.
Mr Said appreciated the various kinds of support that Twaweza has offered The Chanzo over the years, which has been critical in the publication’s ability to implement its administrative and journalistic activities throughout its four-year history.
OGP
In its statement on Tuesday, Twaweza said that Mr Eyakuze will join the OGP, a global initiative promoting open government, combating corruption, and improving governance.
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In May 2016, Mr Eyakuze joined the OGP Steering Committee as a civil society member. He also served as the civil society co-chair for 2021-2022. In June 2017, he was appointed to the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) Board.
Before joining Twaweza, Mr Eyakuze was Associate Regional Director of the Society for International Development (SID) and Head of the SID Tanzania office.
