JKT at 60: The evolution and future of National Service

The National Service in Tanzania, Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa (JKT) in Kiswahili, celebrates its 60th anniversary this week.

Reaching this milestone signifies a remarkable journey of invaluable experiences gained over the years.

It also presents an opportune time to reflect on JKT’s successes and reimagine its future.

JKT was founded on July 10, 1963, as a para-military organisation with the aim of instilling military discipline into civilian activities.

The founders envisioned JKT as a platform to foster responsible citizenship and patriotism among the youth, and to create economic opportunities for them through involvement in sectors such as construction, industry, and agriculture.

Over the years, the institution has trained thousands of youths and helped developing national infrastructures.

The establishment of JKT was a testament to the people’s aspirations for development.

Its very name, Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa, resonates with the desire to build a prosperous nation.

That’s what paved the way for JKT’s unique path: its formation before TPDF, its operation under a separate law, and its leadership under civilian chiefs for a decade before a military chief arrived.

However, in 1975, a momentous decision was made to integrate JKT with TPDF. Through that decision, national defence became a central to JKT’s agenda.

50 years later, it is difficult to ascertain what JKT truly is – an armed force or a nation-building force?

As an armed force, JKT’s credentials are suspect. Armies are structured as land forces, air forces, and navies.

They are disciplined, organised, and have a clear chain of command.

JKT, on the other hand, doesn’t fit in that category. In fact, given its portfolio, its officers spend their time cultivating cabbages, selling insurance schemes, and running catering services.

While there is nothing wrong with these activities, given that only 7 percent of the government’s defence budget goes to equipping the actual army, it is wise to review our priorities.

As a nation-building force, it is difficult to assess JKT’s effectiveness given the opaque nature of its operations.

However, the available resources, such as the website, budget speeches, and recent celebratory speeches, only offer general information.

But there is a lot to suggest that JKT’s credential in this aspect are equally suspect.

For example? How many people have gone through its programmes? JKT’s website says that 305,000 people had been trained by 2013, but there is no more recent data available apart from the recent revelation that 30,000 youths were recruited last year.

Lack of transparency usually hints at poor performance.

Furthermore, the production output of JKT’s camps and SUMA JKT subsidiaries is also shrouded in mystery.

But we know that JKT has failed to supply basic items like food, garments, and footwear to TPDF.

This is why we see soldiers wearing sneakers with their combat gear around.

However, the larger issue lies in JKT’s audacity to request subsidies from the government to construct its own camps.

If the institution struggles with even building its own facilities, its capacity to build the nation must be questionable.

It is not my goal to undermine JKT, for JKT has the potential to be a powerful asset for Tanzania’s development.

It can upskill the youth, organise them into productive groups, and unleash them into the economy. However, as it is, JKT is not fit for purpose.

The vision is wrong, the execution is wrong, and the financials are not sustainable.

That is only possible because it is hiding behind the national defence veil. It is high time that veil is pulled off.

Tanzania’s population is projected to reach 130 million by 2050, and the majority of this growth will be driven by young people.

If Tanzania is to succeed in the 21st century, it must find ways to productively engage its youth. JKT can play a key role in that effort.

JKT has several assets that make it well-suited for economic development. First, it has access to Tanzania’s vast land resources. Second, JKT has access to free labour force through conscription. Third, JKT can use military discipline to drive its business. If JKT is used wisely, it can become an economic force to be reckoned with in Africa.

It is interesting to observe that Hussein Bashe’s Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) initiative presents a compelling framework that aligns with JKT’s mission.

BBT’s vision of increasing youth employment and agricultural growth, as well as establishing thousands of profitable enterprises across Tanzania, should guide JKT’s future endeavours.

Linking BBT with JKT, as President Samia Suluhu Hassan has suggested, provides a powerful model for transformation.

JKT has undergone a significant evolution over the years. From early operations such as ‘Operesheni Kujenga, Maendeleo, and Umoja’ to present-day operations such as ‘Operesheni Kikwete, Magufuli, and Samia,’ one can observe a major shift in its DNA.

Reviving the economic mission will be transformative. That’s what will remove the cloud off JKT’s eyes – then it will appreciate its need for using competent civilian strategists and business executives to pursue its mission effectively.

I see a JKT that can contribute trillions to, rather than gobble trillions from, the government.