Analysis: Mkapa’s tenure as Tanzania’s president

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Analysis: Mkapa’s tenure as Tanzania’s president

9:22 CAT | 24 Jul 2020

Mr Mkapa was the third president of Tanzania. [Photo: AFP]

Tanzania’s former President Benjamin Mkapa, who died on Thursday, led the country for 10 years following its first multiparty elections in 1995.

He took over from Ali Hassan Mwinyi who had shifted the country’s economic policy from socialism.

But it was Mr Mkapa who introduced key economic reforms that saw the country transition to a liberal economy.

He is credited with boosting tax collections, instituting austerity measures to curb wasteful expenditure and opening doors to foreign investors.

His reforms were welcomed by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), and partly resulted in the cancellation of Tanzania’s foreign debts.

His privatisation policy was however much criticised locally, and he later admitted that although he had good intentions the policy was not well executed.

Last November he unveiled his autobiography titled My Life, My Purpose and stated in the book that the tragic killing of 22 protesters by police in 2001 in Pemba island “will always be a black spot on my presidency”.

The protesters took to the streets to vent their anger on results of Zanzibar’s 2000 election which they argued were rigged. Mr Mkapa said the “tragedy shook me to the core”.

He handed over to Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete in 2005.

He is survived by a widow Anna and two sons.

By Athuman Mtulya