The biannual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held last week in Apia, Samoa in the Pacific. Kenya was represented by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

Samoa is famous for rugby and has a population of about 250,000 inhabitants. The CHOGM website says leaders “discussed how Commonwealth countries work together to build resilience, boost trade, innovation, growth and empower the Commonwealth’s 1.5 billion young people for a more peaceful and sustainable future.” 

Beyond the usual pleasantries and speech by King Charles III, a hot-button issue cropped up. Reparations. The members of the commonwealth were former British colonies and felt it was time Britain paid reparations for the suffering of colonies before their independence.

It’s an emotional issue more if it’s extended to slavery. It’s also an economic issue. In the debate on reparations, I got a new term, ‘blackbirding’. Check it out. 

Reparations is an emotional issue because of the suffering the colonised people went through. From the destruction of their cultures to working on low pay under conditions that would not have been allowed in the mother country. If you talk to former mzungu workers, they have their story. 

Beyond low pay, there were restrictions in movement. Remember the passbook? And why was it about Gikuyu, Embu and Meru—at least the ones I have seen? Remember removing your hat if you saw a mzungu? Remember ‘bwana’ and ‘memsahib’?

It is an economic issue because the workers were not allowed to compete with the master in growing cash crops. They remained at the subsistence level. Education was limited, ensuring no enlightenment came, centuries after Europe’s own renaissance. Why didn’t plantations have schools for their workers and their children? Check when your village got its first graduate. 

With cheap labour and benefits from economies of scale, the plantation owners made lots of money. The palatial houses they built left no doubt they made money, or brought money. Some colonialists were quite affluent and came to Kenya for adventure and for some mischief like the Happy Valley lot.

Another question is where that money was invested. It’s likely at home, the same way Kenyan immigrants send money home. Tracing where that money was invested would be a good PhD thesis. But snippets suggest it was well invested and some families will enjoy it for generations to come. We have underrated the economic facet of colonialism. Was colonialism a gold rush? It was not just money from plantations, add money from forests, minerals and other wealth sources. I have wondered privately who professional hunters were and how much money they made from their kills.

We often forget about civil servants who ran the colonies. Were they well paid? 

Should Britain pay reparations? Clearly, based on below-the-market rate wages and getting land for free, reparations make economic sense. How would we value emotional distress and other ravages of colonialism such as attenuating our self-confidence?

The British government is not keen on reparations. It would open a can of worms. The ‘reparations’ for Mau Mau veterans demonstrated the unintended consequences; it is hard to decide who to pay. It’s possible a few Mau Mau imposters were paid. Do all settlers have records for their workers? Getting enough data would be the major handicap in getting a fair value for reparations.

But UK has past data on salaries and wages and even interest rates both in UK and its colonies. We could even let AI do the number crunching for us. What of data on minerals, forests and other wealth? Technology exists to estimate that. We have statistics for colonies, check old copies of the Kenya gazette.

For UK it gets more complicated. It has been argued that Britain developed the colonies, giving them a semblance of modernity. They brought hygiene, modern medicine, schooling, and new institutions such as the government. Never mind they destroyed old institutions, some which worked. Remember our kingdoms? Ashanti in Ghana?

Should that benevolence be subtracted from reparations? What if UK asks for reparations for ending slave trade too? The biggest question is where the money to pay reparations would come from. Would there be a reparations bond? Would there be a reparations tax? How would citizens of UK or another coloniser react to that?

How far into the past would we go? Think of when Britons got into India, the Caribbean or South Africa. Would USA, Canada, Australia and even Ireland ask for reparations? Would UK ask for reparations from Romans? Would Spain ask for reparations from the Mongols? Would Balkan countries ask for reparations from the Ottomans or the Turks? Could we end up with a reparations war?

What would we do with reparations if paid? Will it be paid to families or governments? Can we trust the leaders to put it into good use? What percentage of GDP or budget would reparations be? Would we feel the impact?

Where do we go from here?

Reparations could even come home through historical injustices. Even families could start demanding reparations. My family lost ancestral land. Should we ask for reparations? From who? We can even demand reparations for misrule, miseducation and even corruption.

There is a better option out of reparations. Economics. China should ask for reparations from UK, remember the opium wars? But she is unlikely. She has grown her economy, it’s now bigger than UK. India is now a bigger economy than UK too.

Why can’t we grow our economy to a level that we don’t need reparations? USA is a bigger economy than UK, her former coloniser. Think of the national pride if we did that! We could even start lending money to our former colonial master. Check who are the key buyers of UK or US long-term bonds.

What if we ensured an annual economic growth rate of 10 per cent for the next 10 years? Should we not spend less time and energy on politics? What if all the energy in impeachment was focused on economic issues?

History flows one way. We can learn from history and make today and tomorrow better. What have we done with 60 years of independence? By XN Iraki , The Standard

Photo, source: dailynews.co.tz

The Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train marks a new era for Tanzania’s rail transportation, creating a modern, efficient connection between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma. This was reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

A new era for Tanzanian rail transportation began as the Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train started regular service on Friday, completing a three-hour journey between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma. This train service promises to bring enhanced efficiency and speed to Tanzania’s major cities, creating a quicker and more reliable link between the two.

With a seating capacity for 589 passengers, the EMU train operates at speeds reaching 160 kilometers per hour, making it a modern marvel in Tanzania’s rail industry. Its debut journey marked a significant step for the country, showcasing new levels of transit safety and comfort, in contrast to prior services. 

This EMU train, a part of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project, symbolizes progress in connecting Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, two of Tanzania’s prominent cities. As Dodoma’s Regional Commissioner, Ms. Rosemary Senyamule enthusiastically welcomed 320 passengers upon their arrival at Dodoma’s Samia Station on this inaugural journey, acknowledging the project’s potential benefits.

Speaking to journalists, Senyamule noted that the improved rail transportation service is already positively influencing Dodoma’s economy, benefitting local businesses like hotels and vendors near the station. The SGR service is expected to bring an influx of visitors, boosting not only local businesses but also the city’s general economic growth and development.

Currently, Dodoma sees around 3,000 daily visitors arriving through various transport methods, indicating the region’s increasing demand for reliable transport. With the new EMU train, Tanzania is better positioned to meet this demand, offering a modern solution for travelers while promoting urban growth in the capital city and beyond. 

The first segment of the SGR project, linking Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, launched in June 2024 and extended to Dodoma by July. This connection brings more efficiency to a region with a rapidly growing population, making it easier for locals to travel within Tanzania’s central and eastern regions.

Economic Impact of Enhanced Rail Transportation

Minister of State in the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, Prof. Kitila Mkumbo, reported in Parliament on Friday that the Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) has witnessed substantial growth due to the introduction of the SGR service. This development signals a shift in how Tanzanians move, improving accessibility and making daily travel more convenient and affordable for people across the country.

According to Mkumbo, in just three months since the SGR’s recent expansion, TRC managed to transport 645,621 passengers, which generated a remarkable 16.95 billion Tanzanian shillings (TZS) in revenue by September. This revenue highlights the strong demand for the EMU service and reflects the public’s positive response to this advanced transit system.

Rail Transportation Bringing National Pride

He added that preliminary data reveals the SGR is reshaping Tanzania’s transport landscape, emphasizing that the new rail service has instilled a sense of national pride among Tanzanians. Citizens are thrilled to travel on the SGR’s high-speed trains, viewing it as a source of national pride and a sign of the country’s commitment to modernization.

The EMU trains represent a giant leap forward in how people travel across Tanzania, offering an efficient, safer, and more environmentally friendly alternative to older train models. With the SGR project underway, Tanzania aims to reshape its entire transport sector, impacting not only railways but also adjacent services like bus transit and road safety. 

This transformative rail initiative is not just about transit but about fostering stronger regional connections and creating economic opportunities for communities along the route. The SGR project promises to reduce travel time and provide a comfortable experience, further reinforcing Tanzania’s goals of sustainable urbanization and regional integration.

Both local and international observers see the EMU trains as a bold statement on Tanzania’s forward-looking vision for infrastructure. By investing in high-speed rail, Tanzania has taken a step toward providing a robust public transit option, aiming to attract investments and stimulate economic growth.

Additionally, Dodoma’s tourism sector is expected to benefit from this improved transportation, drawing visitors from Dar es Salaam and beyond. The speed and convenience of the new EMU service make Dodoma more accessible, encouraging travelers to explore the city’s cultural sites and attractions. 

As Tanzania embraces the future with the SGR, officials anticipate long-term growth, not only in passenger numbers but also in regional commerce. Enhanced transport networks such as the SGR foster business activities, creating employment opportunities and supporting development in underserved areas.

With continued expansion, the SGR is set to redefine travel in Tanzania, making journeys faster, safer, and more enjoyable. The EMU trains stand as a testament to the nation’s ambition to modernize, emphasizing both progress and resilience in an ever-evolving landscape. Source: Daily News

Listening to the security authorities speak about femicide cases in Kenya gives the impression that they have not yet appreciated the enormity of this monster. The police do not want us to associate the close to 100 women murdered over the past 90 days with femicide, insisting that a number of those cases were just normal crimes. That statement is quite casual. Unless we have 97 investigation reports clearly detailing the motive of each incident and with all the culprits apprehended, we cannot join them in that conclusion. 

It is clear that the female gender has become an easy target for the most gruesome of murders, mostly perpetrated by men. The worst bit of the statistics is that a good percentage of the cases are associated with intimate partners who turn into monsters. Generally, members of the female gender are targeted for both their emotional and physical vulnerability.

Femicide cases are more often a direct consequence of gender-based violence cases that have remained unmitigated despite the efforts being made through policy and law. In 2004, the government launched gender desks in all police stations. The desks were meant to provide a safe haven for victims to report any threats to their lives. However, several years later, they clearly have not survived to serve that function. In some of the stations, these desks have completely collapsed or never existed as a serious office worth noting.  

These desks are particularly important in addressing intimate partner violence. Femicide cases as a result of intimate partner violence are characterized by a progression of domestic issues that can be resolved if reported and effectively handled. One way of doing that is by making the police station an attractive place for either gender to not just report incidents but also to be heard and understood.

That means the gender desk must not be adequately resourced and manned by an officer with extra qualifications in guidance and counselling. Picture this: following the gruesome murder of one Scarlet Wahu in the beginning of the year, many women came forth and confirmed to have encountered the key suspect, John Matara. In those cases, their lives were clearly in danger. If just one of those cases had been investigated properly, Wahu may not have had to encounter him. It could be that perpetrators have been emboldened by the slow wheels of justice.

But this is not just a security issue but also a social issue. Key members of society, such as teachers and religious leaders, must regain their trust and become voices of reason. They must weed out those among them that have broken the trust. 

The social fabric that has been torn apart must be repaired. We must remind each other that when we are talking about women, we are actually talking about our mothers, sisters and daughters. We must appeal to people’s consciences on this matter. Men must know that their cardinal role in society is to protect women and children and not to hurt or kill them. By Mike Nyagwoka | The Standard