We learnt the decision of the Prime minister, Majaliwa Kassim Majaliwa, not to seek another parliamentary term from Luangwa constituency essentially locking himself out of the race to retain not only his parliamentary seat but also the Premier as well.
He cited personal reasons: he said he wanted to permit injection of new blood following his premature exit. But was it really his decision or that was imposed by his superior? Maybe a better question will be whether he will be missed or not? If he will not be missed then we can easily consider that he was pushed out, for sure. Modern systems of governance have zero tolerance for incompetence.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan as I had indicated in other two articles why I will vote for her was based on an inkling she will not leave office in 2030 without indelibly marking her “legacy in stone”. She is determined to implement her 4Rs, and if successful that will place her at the “same stature” with the founding father of Tanzania Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere.
Legacies are never engraved in toys like infrastructure but in helping build an egalitarian and just society that respects human rights. We all revere Nyerere for that, and president Samia Suluhu Hassan will have her chance to emulate those exemplary ideals.
My considered opinion informs me that Mheshimiwa Majaliwa Kassim Majaliwa was an excess baggage in deliverance of her 4Rs. Majaliwa rightly or not was missing in action in a number of human rights abuses from the kidnapping, torture and murder of Kibao. He kept mum when Soka vanished without a trace. So was he when belligerent Mdude Nyagali was taken from his home, beaten and since then we don’t know what happened to him.
As if this alone doesn’t explain his departure from high octane politics he didn’t bring any value to the management of local government where his leadership skills were badly needed. Local governments continued where they had left off purloining our coffers without letting up.
Laws that protected presidential appointees from facing the long arm of the law aided one Arusha Ded to cakewalk a criminal indictment where he was being accused of helping himself and his loved ones billions of money. Worse if the rumours held any bile water, that appointee was his close buddy. Even if he wasn’t, he didn’t react the Premier was supposed to. We must not forget that the stolen bootleg was from a loan, the money ought to have gone to build schools. We will keep on paying through the nose without reaping the gains.
In infrastructure whether roads, buildings or water projects, one thing was clear: cost benefit ratio didn’t provide justifications. Through his watch, officials bragged about billions sunk into projects and not even a single one questioned whether leakages attributed to unprecedented cost of the projects.
When rain fell we saw our infrastructure was shoddy as bridges, roads, and other infrastructure were swept away by marauding waters. At Kitonga mountains, the same old stories of rainwater flowing in poorly designed and constructed roads marked his sheer incompetence.
Even in soccer, there are many who still lament his interference where he installed his buddy to run TFF without any experience. His protégé never kicked the ball at international level, and the prime minister didn’t give a hoot what damage he was inflicting on the game we all dearly love. Football managerial experience at club level was indispensable and Majaliwa Kassim treated soccer as a trivial matter. Today if you ask former Yanga spokesperson Manara what he thinks of the TFF top boss who had banned him for life he will have unsavoury remarks reserved for him.
Who will forget the leasing of Dar port. Majaliwa didn’t advise the president properly that the matter was political more than a business transaction. It is a matter of national pride and dedication to manage our own affairs despite facing insurmountable challenges. DP WORLD ought to have been encouraged to start their own port at Bwagamoyo rather than pushing locals from top management positions.
Now we don’t even know whether DP WORLD had invested anything given the more than $400 mill we had borrowed from the World Bank is executing most of the extensions there.
On electoral reforms, Majaliwa had nothing useful to contribute. He didn’t lay down the framework for electoral reforms as he permitted CCM mandarins to sideline him. The CCM old guards took over the discussion with Chadema to sabotage it, now the nation is as divided and polarized as it had never happened since independence in 1961.
On a sudden burgeoning national debt, here too he was not assertive, as his juniors flashed western suited economic data to justify neo-colonialism as a way forward. Now 44% of the recurrent is servicing national debt while his blue-eyed assistants have been pushing irrelevant economic data to defend sinking deeper into neocolonial booby traps.
What are his achievements?
The Rise and Fall of Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa: An Analysis of His Tenure.
I. The Meteoric Rise: From Classroom to Premiership.
– Humble Beginnings:
Born in 1960 in rural Mnacho Village (Ruangwa District), Majaliwa spent 16 years as a teacher and teachers’ union leader before entering politics . His educational background included a Bachelor of Education from University of Dar es Salaam and sports management training in Finland.
– Political Ascent:
After serving as District Commissioner (2006-2010), he entered Parliament in 2010 and became Deputy Minister for Regional Administration.
– Surprise Appointment:
In 2015, President Magufuli unexpectedly appointed him Prime Minister, citing his “humility, honesty, and work ethic” despite being a relative newcomer. Regional balance (southern Tanzania) also played a role.
II. Documented Achievements in Office (2015-2025).
– Infrastructure Development:
Oversaw completion of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (adding 2,115MW), Standard Gauge Railway (1.2M passengers by 2024), and rural electrification (“100% village coverage” by 2025).
– Economic Growth:
Championed projects creating “8+ million jobs”,, including EACOP and industrial zones. Tourism surged 132% (2.14M visitors by 2024).
– Social Sectors:
– Education: Built 26 girls’ secondary schools and expanded technical training.
– Healthcare:
Reduced maternal mortality from 556 to 104 per 100,000 births.
– Agriculture:
Achieved “128% food self-sufficiency” through subsidized fertilizers and irrigation.
– Governance Efficiency:
Streamlined port operations at Dar es Salaam, cutting costs by 47% and eliminating ship wait times.
III. Mounting Controversies and Criticisms.
– Silence on Human Rights:
Faced accusations of inaction regarding “opposition crackdowns”, abductions (e.g., Tundu Lissu’s poisoning allegations), and shrinking democratic space under President Samia.
– Local Governance Failures:
Presided over systems where corruption persisted, exemplified by the “Arusha Ded scandal” where billions meant for schools were allegedly misappropriated by presidential appointees.
– Infrastructure Quality And Costs Concerns:
Supervised projects with “shoddy construction” (e.g., roads/bridges collapsing during rains), raising questions about cost-benefit analyses and oversight.
– Controversial Policies:
Backed the “DP World port deal” (seen as sacrificing national control) and intervened in football administration, appointing inexperienced allies to Tanzania Football Federation.
– Debt Management:
Oversaw rising national debt consuming “44% of recurrent expenditure”, with critics alleging unsustainable borrowing.
IV. The Unexpected Exit.
– Sudden Withdrawal:
In July 2025, after initially declaring re-election plans, Majaliwa abruptly withdrew from Ruangwa’s parliamentary race, locking himself out of the premiership.
– Stated Reason:
Claimed he wanted to “pave the way for the younger generation” after 15 years as MP.
– Political Reality: Analysts note:
– Power Consolidation:
Part of President Samia’s reshuffle following VP Mpango’s earlier exit, allowing her to control CPM’s 2025 slate.
– Religious Balancing:
As a Muslim in Christian-majority Tanzania, his retention might have strained electoral calculus.
– Performance Questions:
Perceived as “excess baggage” for Samia’s reformist “4Rs” agenda (Reconciliation, Reforms, Resilience, Rebuilding).
V. Legacy Assessment: Achievements vs. Shortfalls.
Table: Majaliwa’s Legacy Balance Sheet.
| No. | Strengths. | Weaknesses. |
| 1.0 | Infrastructure expansion. | Human rights silence. |
| 2.0 | Economic growth metrics. | Local governance corruption. |
| 3.0 | Social sector investments. | Infrastructure quality and runaway issues. |
| 4.0 | Administrative efficiency. | Polarized political environment. |
| 5.0 | Stable leadership transition. | Mounting debt burden. |
VI. Conclusion: What Went Wrong?
Majaliwa’s fall stems from “three converging factors”:
1. Political Vulnerability:
As a Magufuli-era appointee, he lacked deep roots in Samia’s circle, making him expendable for her consolidation.
2. Governance Gaps:
His technocratic strength on projects contrasted with “passivity on corruption and rights abuses”, eroding public trust.
3. Changing Priorities:
Samia’s “4Rs” demanded assertive reformers; Majaliwa’s low-profile style clashed with this vision.
His departure symbolizes both the “meritocratic promise” of Tanzanian politics (a teacher reaching the premiership) and its “perilous constraints” (where loyalty and regional/religious calculus often trump performance).
Whether history remembers him as a competent administrator or a leader who failed to confront systemic injustices depends on which Tanzania emerges from the 2025 elections.
Read more analysis by Rutashubanyuma Nestory
