Tanzania’s Minister of State in the President’s Office for Regional Administration and Local Government, Mohamed Mchengerwa, has called on regional and district leaders to take the lead in encouraging citizens to embrace jogging and regular physical exercise as part of a nationwide push to improve public health.
Speaking after leading a 10-kilometre jogging event in Dodoma’s Government City on Friday, Minister Mchengerwa said the initiative builds on a long-standing tradition established by Tanzania’s founding leader, Julius Nyerere, and continued under the current leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
"This culture of exercise was initiated by our national leaders, starting with Mwalimu Nyerere and now championed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Its aim is to strengthen health and prevent lifestyle diseases. We have a duty to sustain this momentum, encouraging both public servants and the general population for the benefit of current and future generations," the minister said.
He urged civil servants under his ministry, along with their families, to adopt regular exercise as a routine practice, emphasizing that an active lifestyle not only fosters better health but can also ease the financial burden of treating preventable illnesses.
Minister Mchengerwa also encouraged Tanzanians to prioritize regular health checkups rather than waiting until illnesses occur, underscoring the importance of early detection in combating non-communicable diseases.
Friday's jogging event, which drew hundreds of government employees, concluded at the ministry’s headquarters where participants were offered voluntary health screenings.
The minister also highlighted ongoing efforts by his ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports and the Ministry of Education, to organize school sports tournaments UMITASHUMTA for primary schools and UMISSETA for secondary schools aimed at identifying and nurturing young athletic talent.
According to Minister Mchengerwa, the government is committed to strengthening these competitions as part of a broader strategy to instill a culture of physical fitness and sports participation among Tanzanian youth from an early age.