Attorney General of Tanzania

Last updated
Attorney General of Tanzania
Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Serikali  (Swahili)
Coat of arms of Tanzania.svg
Incumbent
Eliezer Feleshi
since 13 September 2021
Attorney General's Chambers
AbbreviationAG
Member of Cabinet, Parliament
Seat Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Appointer President
Term length At the President's discretion
Constituting instrumentArticle 59(3) of the Constitution
PrecursorAG of Tanganyika
Formation1964
First holder Roland Brown
DeputyDeputy Attorney General
Website www.agctz.go.tz

The Attorney General of Tanzania is the legal adviser to the Government of Tanzania and serves concurrently as an ex officio member of the Cabinet and Parliament. [1]

Contents

History

Nyerere and Brown at the 1961 Tanganyika Constitutional Conference The National Archives UK - CO 1069-166-13.jpg
Nyerere and Brown at the 1961 Tanganyika Constitutional Conference

English barrister Roland Brown succeeded J. S. R. Cole to serve as the first Attorney General of independent Tanganyika from 1961 to 1964; and as the first Attorney General of Tanzania following the merger of Tanganyika with the People's Republic of Zanzibar.

Joseph Warioba concurrently served as Minister for Justice between 1983 and 1985; as did his successor Damian Lubuva during his tenure.

List of attorneys general

#Attorney GeneralTenure
1 Roland Brown [2] 1964–1965
2 Mark Bomani [3] 1965–1976
3 Joseph Warioba [4] 1976–1985
4 Damian Lubuva [5] 1985–1993
5 Andrew Chenge [6] 1993–2005
6 Johnson Mwanyika [6] 2005–2009
7 Frederick Werema [6] 2009–2014
8 George Masaju [6] 2014 - 2018
9 Adelardus Kilangi [7] 1 February 2018 - 12 September 2021
10 Eliezer Feleshi [7] 13 September 2021 – Present

Controversies

Andrew Chenge was criticised for his advice to the government which led to the approval of the purchase of an overpriced $40 million radar from BAE Systems. His lawyers admitted that he had given legal advice on some aspects of the deal but did not promote it. [8] In April 2008, Chenge resigned as Infrastructure Minister following the discovery of more than $1 million in an offshore account under his control in Jersey. Chenge described the amount as "small change" (vijisenti in Swahili) and denied receiving it as kickback from BAE Systems. [9] The United Kingdom's Serious Fraud Office requested mutual legal assistance from Tanzania and requested that he be interviewed as a suspect in a criminal investigation. [10] However, investigations by Tanzania's Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau and the UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) concluded that Chenge was not related to the radar scam. [11]

In 2008, Johnson Mwanyika was accused of being one of the architects of the Richmond Scandal; [12] a $172 million emergency power generating contract that was given to a U.S. based company that turned out to be a shell corporation and failed to deliver the 100 MW to the national grid. [13] This led to the resignation of Prime Minister Edward Lowassa and the dissolution of the cabinet. A Parliamentary Select Committee proposed that he be sacked with immediate effect for his failure to advise the government. [14] In July 2009, a government report exonerated him and this was criticised by some Members of Parliament. [15] His retirement in October 2009 coincided with the deliberations of the report. [16]

On 16 December 2014, Frederick Werema resigned after he was accused of authorizing the fraudulent transfer of about $120 million from a controversial escrow account. [17] Werema stated that his advice had been misunderstood. [18]

Related Research Articles

Tanzania Country in East Africa

Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to the south; Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, is in northeastern Tanzania.

The politics of Tanzania takes place in a framework of a unitary presidential democratic republic, whereby the President of Tanzania is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The party system is dominated by the Chama Cha Mapinduzi. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Tanzania's first president, Julius Nyerere also was one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement, and, during the Cold War era, Tanzania played an important role in regional and international organisations, such as the Non-Aligned Movement, the front-line states, the G-77, and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). One of Africa's best-known elder statesmen, Nyerere was personally active in many of these organisations, and served chairman of the OAU (1984–85) and chairman of six front-line states concerned with eliminating apartheid in Southern Africa. Nyerere was also involved with peace negotiations in Burundi until his death. Nyerere's death, on 14 October 1999, is still commemorated annually.

Tanganyika (1961–1964) Country in East Africa from 1961 to 1964

Tanganyika was a sovereign state, comprising the mainland part of present-day Tanzania, that existed from 1961 until 1964. It first gained independence from the United Kingdom on 9 December 1961 as a state headed by Queen Elizabeth II before becoming a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations a year later. After signing the Articles of Union on 22 April 1964 and passing an Act of Union on 25 April, Tanganyika officially joined with the People's Republic of Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar on Union Day, 26 April 1964. The new state changed its name to the United Republic of Tanzania within a year.

Julius Nyerere First President of Tanzania

Julius Kambarage Nyerere (Swahili pronunciation: [ˈdʒuːlius kɑmˈbɑɾɑgɑ ɲɛˈɾɛɾɛ]; was a Tanzanian anti-colonial activist, politician, and political theorist. He governed Tanganyika as Prime Minister from 1961 to 1962 and then as President from 1963 to 1964, after which he led its successor state, Tanzania, as President from 1964 to 1985. He was a founding member and chair of the Tanganyika African National Union party, and of its successor Chama Cha Mapinduzi, from 1954 to 1990. Ideologically an African nationalist and African socialist, he promoted a political philosophy known as Ujamaa.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is a non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom that investigates and prosecutes serious or complex fraud and corruption in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The SFO is accountable to the Attorney General for England and Wales, and was established by the Criminal Justice Act 1987, an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Ali Hassan Mwinyi Tanzanian politician

Ali Hassan Mwinyi is a Tanzanian politician, who served as the second President of the United Republic of Tanzania from 1985 to 1995. Previous posts include Interior Minister and Vice President. He also was chairman of the ruling party, the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) from 1990 to 1996.

President of Tanzania Head of state and of government of the United Republic of Tanzania

The President of the United Republic of Tanzania is the head of state and head of government of the United Republic of Tanzania. The President leads the executive branch of the Government of Tanzania and is the commander-in-chief of the Tanzania People's Defence Force. The President serves a term of five years. Since 1992, they are limited to two terms, whether successive or separated.

The Zanaki are a Bantu ethnolinguistic group from the heart of Mara Region, Tanzania, to the east of Lake Victoria. The group is subdivided into the Birus and the Buturis.

Those interested in the subject can monitor changes to the pages by clicking on Related changes in the sidebar. Articles related to Tanzania include:

Andrew John Chenge is a Tanzanian CCM politician and Former Member of Parliament for Bariadi West constituency from 2005 to 2020.

Tanganyika Territory British mandate territory in East Africa from 1916 to 1961; now part of Tanzania

Tanganyika was a colonial territory in East Africa which was administered by the United Kingdom in various guises from 1916 to 1961. It was initially administered under a military occupation regime. From 20 July 1922, it was formalised into a League of Nations mandate under British rule. From 1946, it was administered by the UK as a United Nations trust territory.

The Articles of Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar of 1964 is the main foundation of the Constitutions of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977 and the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government of 1984. The Articles of the Union were signed on April 22, 1964, by the Founders of the Union, Julius Nyerere and Abeid Amani Karume and agreed in 11 matters which later increased to over 22 and are the source of tension and dispute between Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.see Uamsho movement The original Articles of Union which contain both Signatures from Nyerere and Karume are yet to be found.

Queen of Tanganyika Elizabeth IIs reign in Tanganyika from 1961 to 1962

Elizabeth II was Queen of Tanganyika from 1961 to 1962, when Tanganyika was an independent sovereign state and a constitutional monarchy. She was also the monarch of other sovereign states, including the United Kingdom. Her constitutional roles in Tanganyika were mostly delegated to the governor-general of Tanganyika.

Chama Cha Mapinduzi Dominant political party in Tanzania

The Chama Cha Mapinduzi is the dominant ruling party in Tanzania and the second longest-ruling party in Africa, only after the True Whig Party of Liberia. It was formed in 1977, following the merger of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) and the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP), which were the sole operating parties in mainland Tanzania and the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar respectively.

2015 Tanzanian general election General election in Tanzania

General elections were held in Tanzania on 25 October 2015. Voters elected the president, members of Parliament, and local government councillors. By convention, the election was held on the last Sunday of October and was supervised by the National Electoral Commission (NEC). Political campaigns commenced on 22 August and ceased a day before the polling day.

Roland Brown

Roland Brown is an English barrister who served as the first Attorney General of Tanzania.

Mainland Tanzania

Mainland Tanzania refers to the part of Tanzania on the continent of Africa; excluding the islands of Zanzibar. It corresponds with the area of the former country of Tanganyika.

References

  1. ↑ "Profile: AG". AGC. Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "JOAN WICKEN". tzaffairs.org. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Bomani, Mark. "Nyerere: a Pan-Africanist" (PDF). juliusnyerere.info. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Warioba, Joseph (30 April 2014). "Nyerere: with a light touch" (PDF). juliusnyerere.info. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Jaji Lubuva: Nilitishwa Zanzibar kabla hali ya hewa kuchafuko". Raiamwema. Archived from the original on 2015-01-04. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Oloka-Onyango, J. When Courts Do Politics: Public Interest Law and Litigation in East Africa. p. 281.
  7. 1 2 "JPM appoints new Attorney General, deputy". The Citizen (Tanzania). Archived from the original on 2018-02-03.
  8. ↑ "Military radar probe: The key suspects...And the case against them". ThisDay. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  9. ↑ Leigh, David; Evans, Rob (22 April 2008). "Tanzanian minister quits over BAE investigation". The Guardian . Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "SFO's Request for Mutual Legal Assistance to Tanzania" (PDF). The Corner House (organisation). 21 March 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "Archived copy". www.thecitizen.co.tz. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2022.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ↑ "Mwanyika, Hoseah's fate in JK's hands". ThisDay. 2 September 2008. Archived from the original on 2 September 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  13. ↑ "Richmond - briefcase firm that won lucrative tender". africafiles.org. 7 February 2008. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "Report on Richmond Scandal". Tanzanian Affairs. 1 May 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  15. ↑ "MPs Criticize Richmond Whitewashing Report". Africa News Service. 27 July 2009. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  16. ↑ LUHWAGO, RODGERS. "Will Parliament loosen stance over Richmond?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  17. ↑ "Tanzania AG Frederick Werema quits amid corruption row". BBC. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "Tanzania's attorney general resigns over graft accusations". Reuters. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
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