Mixed views as Arusha left out of Obama’s TZ itinerary

President Obama 

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 “You don’t narrow yourself to regions or cities. Whenever he will be, the fact is that he will be visiting Tanzania, and I believe his discussions with government officials will be for the benefit of the entire country,” said Mr Brown ole Suya, a local politician.

Arusha. He will not visit Arusha like his two immediate predecessors, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and the city’s residents, understandably, have mixed views.

 “You don’t narrow yourself to regions or cities. Whenever he will be, the fact is that he will be visiting Tanzania, and I believe his discussions with government officials will be for the benefit of the entire country,” said Mr Brown ole Suya, a local politician.

The politician-cum-commercial farmer from Simanjiro District in Manyara Region said he does not regret that Obama will skip the city dubbed the ‘Geneva of Africa’ by the then President Clinton when he visited Arusha in August 2000.

“Arusha is part of Tanzania. It is not an independent republic. We (in Arusha) will benefit because Tanzania will benefit. The only loss for our city is that hotels will not be full like when we hosted US presidents in the past,” he said.

Like many people, Mr Suya believes President Obama’s visit will benefit Tanzania immensely, saying he was coming here with specific purpose.

He still recalls his encounter with President Bush in 2008 during the latter’s visit to Arusha.  It was at the venue of projects targeting the Maasai women, specifically those run by the Maasai Women Development Association.

“Bush was here, and the US government has since provided much support in educating Maasai children, especially the girls, but it’s not bad that Obama will not be coming here,” he said.

Mr Sirili Akko, the executive officer of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (Tato), a powerful lobby group based in Arusha, said it was a good thing that Obama had excluded Arusha from his visit.

“For the sake of the tourism high season (which has just started), it is good that he will not be coming to Arusha. His visit would have brought chaos on our roads as it happened the other day when Bush was here,” he said. He quickly added: “This does not mean that we don’t like his coming to Tanzania. Our country stands to benefit from the visit.”

During the time the US President would be in the country, Tanzania would be promoted as a safe and secure destination for tourists,” Mr Akko said.

“It (the visit) will help remind the world that Tanzania is one of the most endowed countries in the world as far as natural resources and tourist attractions are concerned,” he said, noting that tourism was not the only sector that would get global attention.

“Obama’s presence here will raise global awareness that Tanzania needs responsible investors who will promote good governance, human rights and welfare of surrounding communities through their investments.”