The Issue of Dual Citizenship in Tanzania – Revisiting recommendations by the Law Reform Commission
Published: 8/Sep/2016
Source: Tanzania Daily News
column By Pius Msekwa
The Daily News of Thursday, August 25, 2016; carried a news item concerning the official opening by the Zanzibar President, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, of the annual meeting of members of the Tanzania Diaspora, which was being held in Zanzibar at the material time.
It was reported that “members of the Tanzania Diaspora reiterated their commitment of being good ambassadors abroad, including promoting investment opportunities, and working closely with the Government in changing the lives of their compatriots back home”.
It was further reported that several topics were scheduled for discussion, including the issue of dual citizenship, as well as the matter of giving Diaspora members the right to vote during general elections.
I am particularly interested in the issue of dual citizenship, for one specific reason; which is that I was still a member of the Law Reform Commission of Tanzania (LRCT), when that Commission made a thorough and extensive study of this matter in 2004, and submitted its recommendation to the Union Government on 12th May 2006, recommending its adoption.
But to date, no decision seems to have been taken on those recommendations.
That is the reason why, in this article, I am revisiting the findings of that study, plus the recommendations arising there from, for the benefit of our readers who may have a vested interest in this particular matter including, obviously, the Diaspora members themselves.
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