The Tanzanian government is translating national laws into Kiswahili to improve public understanding of legal rights and obligations, officials said, a move aimed at strengthening access to justice and accountability.
Speaking at a legal training session for journalists in Dodoma, Rehema Katuga, acting director of the Division of Law Revision, Research and Training, said the initiative would help ensure legal information reaches citizens accurately and on time through cooperation between government offices and the media.
“When citizens understand the law, they are better positioned to claim their rights and meet their responsibilities,” Katuga said, adding that journalists should have a basic grasp of legal principles to avoid misinformation.
Katuga said legislative drafting is a constitutional function of the attorney general under Article 59(3) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, covering areas including constitutional affairs, human rights, civil and criminal cases, contracts and lawmaking.
She said reforms since 2005 have strengthened legal service delivery within the Office of the Attorney General, with independent bodies established in 2018, including the National Prosecutions Service and the Office of the Solicitor General, to improve efficiency.
In 2023, the government formally established the Office of the Chief Legislative Draftsman, which has final authority to review all draft legislation before it advances in the lawmaking process, Katuga said.
She added that the office also trains government lawyers in legislative drafting and oversees law revision, a process that consolidates amendments to make statutes easier to read and apply.
Said Ally Nzori, director of the Division of Legal Translation, said translating laws into Kiswahili supports equality before the law, as provided under Article 13 of the constitution.
“Legal prohibitions must be clearly understood before they can be enforced,” Nzori said. He added that his office translates principal and subsidiary legislation, court judgments, international agreements and official documents, and publishes legal texts in the government gazette.
Officials said the translation programme is intended to support democratic participation and sustainable development by making the law accessible to the wider public.