Attorney General of Tanzania

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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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanzania</span> Country in East Africa

Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; 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. According to the 2022 national census, Tanzania has a population of around 62 million.

The modern-day African Great Lakes state of Tanzania dates formally from 1964, when it was formed out of the union of the much larger mainland territory of Tanganyika and the coastal archipelago of Zanzibar. The former was a colony and part of German East Africa from the 1880s to 1919 when, under the League of Nations, it became a British mandate. It served as a British military outpost during World War II, providing financial help, munitions, and soldiers. In 1947, Tanganyika became a United Nations Trust Territory under British administration, a status it kept until its independence in 1961. The island of Zanzibar thrived as a trading hub, successively controlled by the Portuguese, the Sultanate of Oman, and then as a British protectorate by the end of the nineteenth century.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanganyika (1961–1964)</span> 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 Commonwealth realm 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Mkapa</span> President of Tanzania from 1995 to 2005

Benjamin William Mkapa was the third president of Tanzania, in office from 1995 to 2005. He was Chairman of the Revolutionary State Political Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julius Nyerere</span> President of Tanzania from 1964 to 1985

Julius Kambarage Nyerere 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 1962 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 (TANU) 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serious Fraud Office (United Kingdom)</span> Department of Government of United Kingdom that investigates and prosecutes complex fraud

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of Tanzania</span> 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 Tanzania.

Johnson Paulo Mathias Mwanyika is a former Attorney General of Tanzania, having previously held the offices of Deputy Attorney General and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. He was appointed in December 2005, succeeding Andrew Chenge, who left the post after ten years to become an MP.

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.

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanganyika Territory</span> British mandate in Africa from 1919 to 1961

Tanganyika was a colonial territory in East Africa which was administered by the United Kingdom in various guises from 1916 until 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.

Frederick Mwita Werema served as Attorney General of Tanzania from 2009 until his resignation in 2014. Before his appointment Werema was High Court of Tanzania Judge in the Commercial Division.

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 mainland 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen of Tanganyika</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kikwete Cabinet</span> 2006 cabinet of Tanzania

The Kikwete Cabinet was formed by President Jakaya Kikwete after taking the oath of office on 21 December 2005. Kikwete had won a landslide victory in the 2005 presidential election receiving 80.2 percent of the popular vote. His inaugural cabinet had seven women ministers, the highest in the nation's history.

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 elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roland Brown</span> English barrister

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mainland Tanzania</span> Overview of the mainland region of 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. "PCCB probes Chenge over wealth property". www.thecitizen.co.tz. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  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.[ dead link ]