Samia’s Legal Aid Campaign expands to more regions

Dodoma. The Samia Suluhu Hassan Legal Aid Campaign, under the Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs, has provided free legal aid to 775,119 citizens since its inception in 2023, including 380,375 women and 394,744 men.

The minister for Constitution and Legal Affairs, Dr Damas Ndumbaro, announced in Dodoma on Monday that legal aid desks had been established in all councils nationwide.

The campaign has already been implemented in 11 regions, including Dodoma, Manyara, Shinyanga, Ruvuma, Simiyu, Singida, Njombe, Iringa, Morogoro, Mara, and Songwe.

A total of 693 disputes have been resolved from 3,162 cases received. The initiative aims to promote peace and enable citizens to focus on economic activities rather than lengthy legal proceedings.

The next phase of the campaign will extend to six regions—Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Geita, Katavi, Tabora, and Mtwara—targeting 10 wards in each region. Legal experts will provide free aid services during a nine-day outreach programme.

The campaign is set for launch this Friday in Kigoma, Katavi, Tabora, and Mtwara, followed by Geita this Saturday and Kilimanjaro next Wednesday.

Additionally, the ministry will train security committees at regional and district levels and enhance the capacity of council and ward officials on governance and citizenship education.

Dr Ndumbaro emphasised the role of legal aid organisations in ensuring justice for all citizens.

According to Dr Ndumbaro, at least four major issues have emerged from the ongoing Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign.

These issues include gender-based violence, marital disputes, inheritance conflicts, and land disputes.

He said that areas already visited had reported significant complaints regarding gender-based violence and inheritance issues, urging Tanzanians to consider drafting wills to avoid future legal disputes.

"People often associate writing a will with tempting death, but that’s not the case. Writing a will helps to prevent inheritance conflicts. I recall over 20 years ago, when I assisted an elderly man who was bedridden in drafting a will, and today, he is still alive, while two of his children have passed away. Therefore, writing a will is not a prediction of death," said Dr Ndumbaro.

He also highlighted ongoing marital conflicts, divorce, and property division as prevalent issues.

Additionally, land disputes have dominated the legal aid campaign, taking up a substantial portion of the legal cases across all the regions visited by the team.

“The land sector has been marred by significant challenges, including fraudulent practices, and sometimes, criminal offences. Our ministry is working on a plan to specifically address land disputes once the current campaign is concluded,” Dr Ndumbaro said.

The Ministry has already engaged with the Ministry of Land to devise a strategy for a dedicated land dispute resolution campaign, considering its substantial contribution to the ongoing legal conflicts in the country.