Rutazamba’s 60 years shaping Tanzania in insurance sector

IN a market where public confidence in insurance remains fragile and where innovation often outpaces understanding, the industry is hungry for clarity.

For executives, regulators and investors navigating this space, there’s increasing value in voices that combine institutional memory with forward-looking insight. Tryphone Rutazamba is one of those rare voices quietly shaping the sector while many simply comment on it. Now in his eighties, Mr Rutazamba is not merely reflecting on a long career.

He is still actively shaping the sector. With over sixty years of uninterrupted experience spanning private brokerage, public service, entrepreneurship, boardroom governance and advisory roles, he is today considered one of the most valuable and knowledgeable voices in Tanzanian insurance.

He is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (UK), a certified arbitrator with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an active member of both the Insurance Institute of Tanzania and the Tanzania Insurance Brokers Association, credentials that speak not just to his past, but to his ongoing commitment to professional excellence and ethical leadership.

His career began in the early 1960s at Colin Hood Insurances, a respected private broking house during Tanganyika’s transitional years. He later spent twenty-four years at the National Insurance Corporation (NIC), where he played a central role in building the institution’s credibility and capacity during its formative years.

By the time he co-founded F&P Insurance Brokers in the early 1990s, he had already accumulated three decades of experience that would position F&P as a trusted name in both corporate and retail insurance.

Over the years, Mr Rutazamba has also served on several national boards and regulatory committees including the NHIF, TRC, TCCIA, Bima Motors and the IFM Examination Board bringing policy insight and stability to institutions that shape the sector.

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But it’s what he’s doing now that might surprise many. In recognition of his leadership and ethical influence in the industry, Mr Rutazamba was awarded Life Membership by both the Insurance Institute of Tanzania (IIT) and the Tanzania Insurance Brokers Association (TIBA)—a rare honour that reflects his role not only as a founding promoter and former president of both bodies, but also as a tireless advocate for professional integrity and ethical standards in insurance.

Following his retirement from active practice, he established the Forum for Insurance Research & Studies in Tanzania (FIRST), a platform designed to bring together seasoned practitioners for research, advisory work and historical documentation. The forum also offers pro bono support for low-income policyholders seeking justice in contentious insurance claims, reflecting his lifelong commitment to access and accountability in the sector.

Mr Rutazamba remains intellectually active, analytically sharp and closely involved in the evolution of Tanzania’s insurance ecosystem. He engages regularly with senior figures across the industry as a trusted source of insight on everything from product design to consumer behaviour.

Behind the scenes, he supports regulatory dialogue, reviews technical proposals and quietly advises both local executives and international players seeking to better understand the Tanzanian market.

“There’s no substitute for clarity,” he says. “Insurance must be something people trust, not fear. And trust is built through how we explain, how we respond and how we deliver.

” There’s a quiet authority in his tone. He speaks without jargon, but always with depth. He is particularly passionate about how technology can transform, not just digitise the insurance experience for ordinary people.

He follows developments in AI-led claims management, mobile platforms and data-driven underwriting not just out of curiosity, but because he sees them as potential bridges between the industry and the public.

“Technology is powerful, but only if it helps people understand what they’re buying,” he says.

“It should never be a wall, it should be a window.” Mr Rutazamba’s progressive outlook is one of the reasons he continues to play a key role in strategic discussions at both policy and operational levels.

His focus on public confidence, ethical underwriting and inclusive product design positions him as a steady voice in a space often marked by noise.

He is especially attuned to the needs of bluechip companies operating in sectors such as mining, tourism, agriculture and manufacturing, as well as emerging ventures, small businesses, informal workers and underserved communities, groups that remain on the margins of insurance coverage in Tanzania, albeit for different reasons.

His ability to understand both ends of the market spectrum has made him a valuable thought partner for organisations seeking to design meaningful, context-driven insurance solutions in a complex operating environment.

To speak with him is to encounter not just knowledge, but a way of thinking. He listens closely. He doesn’t rush to answer. And when he speaks, it’s to distil, not to dominate.

He is thoughtful, deliberate and deeply aware of the stakes involved in getting insurance right. Outside the professional world, Mr Rutazamba maintains a rhythm of reading, writing and mentoring.

These are not passive hobbies but active commitments to learning and sharing. He is a familiar face at industry dialogues and policy forums, though he avoids the spotlight. His influence is often felt more than seen.

He sees his long career not as a personal achievement, but as a responsibility.

“If you’ve seen the journey, you owe it to those starting out to share what matters and what doesn’t,” he says.

In a sector too often driven by short-term gains, Mr Rutazamba’s career reminds us of a different kind of value measured not by volume, but by principle. His relevance today is not a legacy.

It is a choice he makes daily: To remain engaged, curious and committed to a future where insurance in Tanzania works for everyone. For a country navigating rapid change and growing demand for risk protection, that kind of clarity is gold.