By Adonis Byemelwa
A year after Tanzania decided to import electricity from Ethiopia via Kenya, a fiery debate has erupted online, fueled by a detailed analysis from Shinyanga District Commissioner Julius Mtatiro (pictured).
His insights, which circulated widely on social media today, March 10, 2025, have rekindled discussions about the country’s energy strategy and whether this move was a masterstroke or a miscalculation.
In 2024, the Tanzanian government defended its decision, arguing that persistent power supply challenges in the Northern Zone cost the economy over Sh32 billion annually.
The region, which includes Arusha, Kilimanjaro, and Manyara, had suffered from frequent outages due to the long-distance transmission of electricity from the southeastern part of the country. The energy losses along the way made local supply unreliable.
Speaking at the inauguration of a water project in Kilimanjaro, President Samia Suluhu Hassan addressed the concerns head-on.
She assured the public that the move was based on technical and economic considerations, emphasizing that the high transmission losses justified the need for an alternative solution.
Hours later, Government Spokesperson Gerson Msigwa reinforced this stance in a statement, confirming that the government had opted for the Ethiopian supply due to its affordability and reliability.
Fast forward to today, and Mtatiro’s deep dive into the issue has sparked mixed reactions. While he acknowledges that cross-border electricity trade is standard practice worldwide, he doesn’t shy away from pointing out the cracks in the strategy.
“Tanzania is not the first country to import power,” his statement reads, citing examples from Africa, Europe, and beyond. “But have we thought critically about the long-term implications? Or are we just seeking quick fixes to a much deeper issue?”
His critique has found resonance, especially among citizens from Arusha, Mwanza, and Shinyanga, who have lived through the frustrating power cuts.
Social media is ablaze with divided opinions. Some argue that the move was necessary to stabilize power in the North, while others feel Tanzania should have invested in reinforcing its grid rather than relying on imports.
“Why is Ethiopia’s power cheaper for us than our own?” asks Daniel Mrema, a business owner in Arusha. “Does this mean we’re producing energy inefficiently?”
Similar sentiments echo from Mwanza, where textile factory operator Joyce Magesa questions whether the government has a clear long-term vision. “We need sustainable solutions, not just a patchwork approach,” she insists.
Still, the government maintains that the decision is part of a broader regional integration plan. It points out that Tanzania has not only imported power in the past—from Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya—but also plans to export electricity to neighboring countries as its production capacity grows.
Mtatiro’s analysis has put these arguments under a microscope, forcing policymakers to confront the bigger question: Is Tanzania genuinely solving its power crisis or just outsourcing it?
The conversation isn’t dying down anytime soon, and as citizens weigh in with their lived experiences, one thing is clear—this is a debate that will shape Tanzania’s energy future for years to come.