Politicians! Wake up, smell the constituents

DAR ES SALAAM: THERE is a charming Tanzanian proverb that says: “Mtaka yote kwa pupa hukosa yote” and that is he who wants it all in a rush may end up with nothing.

To every political party eyeing this year’s general election, may we respectfully suggest: slow down, listen, and above all, be flexible. Because no matter how pretty your manifesto looks printed in glossy colours, Tanzania’s challenges are not confined to its bullet points.

Yes, manifestos are important. They are the vision boards, the public contracts, the flashy pre-election promises that parties brandish like talismans. But here is the twist: real life has a habit of ignoring PowerPoint presentations.

Just ask the Mama Samia Legal Aid initiative. It was not in any party’s grand plan, but once implemented, it unearthed a buffet of buried issues that no one, even the most energetic campaigner had scribbled down on the campaign trail.

From land disputes, to gender-based violence, to forgotten elders without IDs, it was as if the Legal Aid campaign put on X-ray glasses and saw the bones beneath the nation’s skin.

These were not “policy priorities” in manifestos; they were silent problems waiting for someone to stop talking and actually look around.

That someone, in this case, happened to be Mama Samia (President Samia Suluhu Hassan) and her team of legal eagles with clipboards and courage.

So, here is the polite nudge to the political class: Please, add a touch of improvisation to your governance jazz.

Tanzanians don’t live in Word documents; they live in neighbour hoods, farms, markets and digital queues trying to register for birth certificates. The reality on the ground is fluid and any leader worth their salt should be able to adapt when new challenges (or new truths) surface.

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Rigidly following manifestos as though they were religious scripture may make for great televised debates, but it won’t fix what is breaking in the communities.

It is not about abandoning your principles, it is about developing the reflex to respond to people’s actual pain points, not just the theoretical ones from 2019. Let us be clear: Mama Samia’s Legal Aid initiative did not just help citizens.

It brilliantly exposed a weakness in the political process and that is the habit of assuming leaders already know what people need. Spoiler alert: they don’t. Not until they show up, listen and occasionally get uncomfortable.

In this election year, we urge all parties and that is either big, small, rebranded or newly baptised to stay agile.

Be ready to update, revise, and yes, even abandon some policy positions if the evidence demands it. Think of your manifesto as a compass, not a railway track.

In a world where Artificial Intelligence (AI) writes poetry, and bodaboda riders use TikTok for customer service, the political space can surely find the courage to update itself midstream.

The people are watching and they are smarter, louder and more connected than ever.

So, take a breath, stretch a little, and be ready to pivot. The future won’t wait for your five-year plan.