Tanzania: Dual Citizenship May Be Allowed By 2014, MPs Told
Published: 21/Jul/2011
Source: The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
By Frank Kimboy
The Citizen Reporter
Dodoma. Tanzania could grant dual citizenship to its nationals as early as 2014, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister Bernard Membe said yesterday.
The minister told Parliament that the ministry and other relevant institutions of the government were determined to conclude the process so that it coincides with the enactment of a new constitution.For his part, President Jakaya Kikwete has publicly stated that he would wish to see the new constitution enacted before the 2015 General Election.
The government is currently preparing a revised bill to be tabled in Parliament in October to kick-start the review process. If the ministry will have its way, it could mean Tanzanians who have resided abroad for many years and even obtained foreign citizenship could regain their Tanzanian passports.
The current law criminalises such an arrangement.Mr Membe told MPs during the tabling of his budget for 2011/12 that his ministry was in consultation with the Home Affairs ministry and the office of the attorney general to fine tune a dual citizenship bill to be tabled in the Parliament.
“It is unfortunate that this matter is taking unnecessarily long and it is time the government took the final move to act. We are segregating our own people for fear they will come and contest political office,” said Ms Nyerere. She said no foreigner would use such an opportunity as best as would a Tanzanian citizen proper.
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