Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend
President Samia Issues Directive on Leakage of Confidential Information, Warns Against Foreign Interference
On Saturday, May 24, 2025, during the swearing-in ceremony of a new presidential appointee, President Samia directed the Ethics Commission to urgently address issues among public servants, specifically focusing on the leakage of confidential information.
“Please ensure that ethics are upheld in public service; we have deteriorated. Today, a public servant lacks patriotism, lacks the spirit of a public servant, and dares to take confidential information from files, take photos with their phone, and share them. Thinking that they are undermining the President, or perhaps someone else, in the line,” President Samia said.
“But in reality, they are the ones lacking integrity. They are the ones not being accountable to their country, lacking patriotism. So these things are happening, that’s just one example, but there are many issues within public service. Please help us, because public service is the engine that drives this country,” she emphasized.
While it’s unclear which confidential document has leaked, in the last week, US-based Tanzanian activist Mange Kimambi, had shared some documents marked confidential in her social media accounts.
President Samia also called for stakeholders to defend the country against foreign interference, underscoring that it is a collective task.
CCM MP Bishop Gwajima Weighs In on Abductions in Tanzania During Explosive Press Conference. Reflects on Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire Incidents
In a rare and explosive press conference held on the evening of Saturday, May 24, 2025, Bishop Josephat Gwajima, the influential Member of Parliament for Kawe Constituency under the ruling party CCM, addressed the growing trend of abductions in Tanzania.
Gwajima expressed deep concern over the issue, suggesting that the country’s security organs might be fully aware of the individuals responsible for the abductions but are possibly restrained from taking action due to political pressure.
Read the full article here. (The full article has been removed on May 27, 2025, following an order from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA). Read our post here.
Tanzania’s President Orders Fast-Tracking of Uranium Project to Enable Nuclear Energy Production
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed officials at the Ministry of Energy to fast-track the development of the country’s Uranium projects to ensure the country also generates nuclear energy in the future.
“Oftentimes, when we talk about renewable energy, we focus on solar, wind, and other things. But within our country, God has blessed us with uranium. For a very long time, we have been made to believe that generating electricity from uranium is dangerous, yet developed countries are using it, and it is a major source of electricity,” President Samia said to officials at swearing session of president appointee today, May 24, 2025, at the State House in Dar es Salaam.
“We have the raw material right here, and they tell us it’s dangerous, so they can come and take it, go back to their home countries, and generate electricity for themselves. Now, together with the Ministry, it is important to oversee our uranium project in Tunduru so that the investors can start working and we can benefit from that resource,” she emphasized.
One of the major uranium development projects is the Mkuju River Project, located in Southern Tanzania in the Namtumbo District of the Ruvuma Region. The project is operated by Mantra Tanzania Limited, a subsidiary of Uranium One Group and its parent shareholder, the State Atomic Energy Corporation of Russia (ROSATOM). The company had reported in 2023 that it was finalizing the construction of a uranium processing plant.
“It is estimated that there are about 58,500 tonnes of uranium there. I believe once they start mining and continue exploring in that area, they might find even more,” President Samia said.
“Let this project proceed and begin. If they are using nuclear power, we can use it too, and have enough electricity for ourselves, and even sell to neighboring countries, like we’re planning to sell to Zambia. But we are also buying from Ethiopia—if we are self-sufficient, we won’t need to buy.”
Journalism in the Brave New World: Let Us Choose a Future Where AI Serves Truth, Not Power
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer “emerging” technology. It is here as the new infrastructure of influence and yet, it is not equally distributed. We live in an era of mutually assured surveillance where states and corporations use AI to facilitate all kinds of repressive actions: monitoring activists, spreading disinformation, and restricting access to public goods, to name a few.
But what if journalists and citizens used AI to watch the watchers as well? To shine light where others prefer shadows? Here are three ways forward to ensure that AI, press freedom, and public power serve democracy and human dignity.
Read the full article here.
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