Wito Kenya :Nairobians, Allow Your 'Inner Magufuli' to Act

By James Murua

Something very special is happening in Tanzania after their most recent election. Our Southern neighbour got a new president called John Pombe Magufuli from the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party in spite of there being serious competition from the opposition for the first time since independence.

When the new president was inaugurated, he immediately swung into action as his election tagline "hapa kazi tu" promised. On his first day on the job he visited the Muhimbili National Hospital, their national referral hospital equivalent to our Kenyatta Hospital, and found patients sleeping on the floor with equipment that was not working.

 He immediately fired the management of the hospital and within days the available equipment was fixed. He followed this quickly buy stripping down his inauguration party and insisted the excess monies for the event be used to buy beds for patients at Muhimbili Hospital.

As we were just recovering from this magnanimous act, more reports started filtering in of his work from the Southern border. This all-action hero president had gone all out to ensure his government cut out excessive spending.

Thus he was cancelling foreign trips for all levels of government, putting an end to seating allowances and ending retreats when there were offices available. Then the biggest story came through as he cancelled elaborate celebrations for Uhuru Day, the country's Independence Day.

 He instead instructed that the money planned for the fete be used for cleaning the country - he didn't see the need for celebrating when people were suffering from cholera.

chanzo: allafrica