Experts are calling on African leaders to prioritize citizens and stop relying on donors

Dar es Salaam. Economists and policy analysts are calling on African governments to prioritize formulating and implementing policies that directly benefit their citizens.

This call comes amid growing public anger over economic hardship, as exemplified by the ongoing protests in Kenya.

Experts also asked African governments to eliminate the donor dependence syndrome; instead, they should prioritize development plans and the implementation of promises made through their respective electoral strategies.

Experts also recommended increased fiscal discipline, avoiding extravagance, misappropriation and embezzlement of funds; instead, they should manage public funds prudently.

Political experts and economists made the call here on Friday following an ongoing demonstration in Kenya in which citizens took to the streets to protest against tax increases, whistling and chanting slogans in a vivid display of Gen Z protesters’ anger against the government.

The demonstrations, led mainly by young Kenyans, began in Nairobi on Tuesday and spread across the country on Thursday.

In January this year, the main opposition party Chadema, through its Central Committee, also called for nationwide demonstrations calling for government action to reduce the high cost of living in Tanzania.

While the demonstrations held in Tanzania cannot be compared to what we witnessed in Kenya, the alarm has been raised for governments in East Africa and across the continent to take action against the skyrocketing cost of living in order to put an end to the new wave of demonstrations in the region and the continent in general .

Asked to comment, University of Dodoma (UDOM) political scientist Dr. Paul Loisulie called on African governments to end the donor dependence syndrome and instead use local resources for budget financing.

He said governments should prioritize development over electoral victories and maintain fiscal discipline to avoid extravagant spending.

“Governments are prioritizing meeting society’s expectations rather than properly implementing national development plans,” he said.

Dr. Loisulie was seconded by his counterpart from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Dr. Richard Mbunda, who stressed the importance of introducing government policies that will have a significant and positive impact on ordinary citizens, especially those related to taxation.

“The challenge begins when our leaders enact policies and laws without considering their impact on ordinary citizens, especially the imposition of numerous taxes,” he said.

He stressed the need for leaders to be innovative in decision-making to empower citizens, warning that protests and riots are a reminder that leaders should serve ordinary citizens.

UDSM Associate Professor Abel Kinyondo said the demographic challenge facing African countries includes an increased population of unemployed youth in the face of staggering tax increases.

He called on African governments to create favorable conditions for young people’s entrepreneurship and engagement in small businesses, including access to capital.

Prof. Kinyondo said youths face a bleak future due to the government’s failure to create jobs and create an enabling environment for self-employment, as well as the introduction of high taxes, hindering youth development opportunities.

“The situation in Kenya reminds us of the Arab Spring in the Middle East, when youth uprisings got out of control,” he said by phone.

To prevent unrest, Professor Kinyondo suggested that African governments should prioritize youth empowerment in their budgetary allocations, rather than devoting national resources to purchasing luxury items such as V8 vehicles.

He advocated the creation of conditions conducive to the prosperity of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, including a favorable credit policy facilitating access to capital.

Lecturer in Political Science and Public Administration at the State University of Zanzibar (Suza), Professor Ali Makame Ussi, stressed the need for governments to address the high cost of living and unemployment by leveraging available resources in their countries and ensuring equitable distribution.

“Governments should establish systems that enable Tanzanians to invest, start businesses and pay taxes without undue hardship,” he stressed.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Management and Business Development, Dr. Donath Olomi, said African governments must uphold good governance and avoid corruption in resource allocation.

“We are dealing with corruption and mismanagement of public funds that could have been properly used for the development and empowerment of citizens, especially young people, who are struggling with the problem of unemployment,” he said.

He said that instead of resorting to imposing high taxes on citizens to finance national budgets, the focus should be on expanding countries’ tax bases.