Notburga Maskini to challenge Basil Mramba in next elections

One of the participants of last year's Mwalimu Nyerere Charity Climb, Notburga Maskini, has announced her intention to contest the parliamentary seat for Rombo Constituency in Tanzania's general elections in October. Rombo's current MP is Basil Mramba, former Finance Minister in President Kikwete's government.

Notburga announces her candidacy for Rombo Constituency in Dodoma, recently.

I know enough about Notburga to realize she is a determined person, and the fact that she is challenging Mramba is no small undertaking. She is no small fry herself; she is currently the Vice President of the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA).

These are some of her quotes in relation to her candidacy when she made the announcement in Dodoma recently:

I have the experience and the ability of doing this work because I have worked in management and public administration for 25 years...

I have a great responsibility to pay my debt to society....

I agree with the concept advocated by development and gender experts that the absence of a balance in the involvement of both genders in development plans by decision-making bodies is one of the reasons for the absence of sustainable development and crucial social services....

I have great respect for public servants and leaders who fulfill their responsibilities to the people by providing exceptional public service, and with integrity; Public servants to whom respect comes from commendable public service to the people and not through money or their position....

Rombo district has many development challenges...environmental degradation, scarcity of water, and poverty among a great number of its residents, particularly women, youth, children, and the elderly with special needs....

If the general elections are used judiciously, it is an opportunity to introduce change that is directed at improving the availability of relevant social services for the development of the people....

I will cooperate with other stakeholders to ensure that opportunities such as Saccos [Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies] and financial institutions that provide preferential loans; and the opportunities that are available in the international community, for example, protection of the environment (clean development mechanism) are used to obtain capital for investing and for self-employment in agriculture, the environment, animal husbandry and income-generating projects....

Tourism, small-scale industries, and small scale businesses will contribute towards raising the level of the economy and the use of the opportunities of the East African Common Market; this is because Rombo constituency is practically at the entrance of that market....

The actual environmental conditions surrounding Rombo constituency is a challenge confronting the livelihood of this and the next generation. I have the intention of participating and developing a sustainable plan to protect and improve our resource and natural heritage, Mount Kilimanjaro....

L-R: Gerald Hando of Clouds FM, Notburga, and the author of this blog just before we began our Mt. Kilimanjaro climb last October.

Posts related to this one:
http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2010/12/notburga-maskini-and-gerald-hando.html
http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2010/07/notburga-maskini-picks-up-nomination.html
http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2010/07/update-notburga-maskini.html