Do you know Mange Kimambi was behind April demonstrations? You are among only 2pc of Tanzanians who do, says Twaweza

Dar es Salaam. Only two per cent of the citizens were able to identify the US-based social media activist Mange Kimambi as the mobiliser of national wide demonstrations slated for April 26, a recent Twaweza report shows. 

Presenting the findings of a study on Thursday, dubbed: Captains of their own ship? Citizens’ thoughts on participation and demonstrations, Twaweza executive director, Mr Aidan Eyakuze noted that fewer (1pc) confirmed to follow her on social media. 

“Three percent of the citizens incorrectly identified someone else as the main mobiliser of the demonstrations,” says the report.

Who knew about the demonstrations?

The report indicates that one out of 20 citizens equivalent to 6 per cent were confidently aware of demonstrations slated for April 26, this year. 

Report released comprised opinion collected from 1,241 respondents across Mainland Tanzania shows that 19 per cent of the citizens were partially aware of the demonstration, noting that awareness was slightly higher among men (27pc) as compared to women (23pc). 

The findings come from data collected by Twaweza in its flagship, Citizen’s voices, which is a nationally-representative, mobile phone panel survey held between April 15 and April 24, 2018 from 1,241 respondents across the Tanzania Mainland.

Mr Eyakuze said that awareness was three times higher among urban residents (43pc) as compared to rural residents (15pc).

“Awareness was also five times higher among wealthier citizens (46pc) as compared to the poor (9pc),” he said, adding.

“Public support for the 2018 demonstrations was markedly higher than in 2016: four out of ten citizens (42%) in 2018 supported the demonstrations as compared to two out of ten (18pc) who supported in 2016.”

According to him, twice as many citizens said they were likely to participate in the 2018 demonstrations (21pc) as  compared to those who expressed readiness in 2016 (9pc). 

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