The Hon. Mr. Zitto Zuberi Kabwe MP

Zitto Kabwe studied economics at the University of Dar es Salaam and obtained a Masters in Law and Business from Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, Germany in 2010. He has also studied International Trade at the InWent-Trade Africa Programme in Bonn, Germany - His research areas are on extractive industries (Mining, Oil and Gas) particularly fiscal regimes and governance issues in natural resources exploitation.

He joined the struggle for multi-party democracy in Tanzania at the age of 16 when he first became a member of the CHADEMA political party. Since that time, CHADEMA has transformed itself from a less known political party to a movement advocating for a clean, transparent and accountable government and for the proper use of Tanzania’s vast wealth in natural resources for current and future generations. Zitto’s role in parliament on the mining sector contributed immensely to positioning CHADEMA on anti-corruption and governance issues in natural resource extraction.

Zitto is currently a Member of parliament on his second term representing Kigoma North Constituency in Western Tanzania. He is the Chairman of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC). He was the former chair of parliamentary standing committee on Public Investments where he oversaw more than 250 State Owned Companies.

In parliament he campaigns for a strong conflict of interest code as a measure to fight corruption by public office holders. He often acts as a bridge builder on matters of national interests through building alliances between political parties in parliament as well as between civil society organisations and parliamentarians. The Mining Act of 2010 is a standing legacy for Zitto in which he brought together parliamentarians from the ruling and opposition parties as well as civil society organisations into the process to ensure the best law in enacted. In 2011 Zitto ended the impasse that stalled the process of writing a new constitution by engaging his party, President and nation’s elders.

In parliament his interests are poverty eradication, energy, oil and gas, trade, mineral and governance issues. Currently, Zitto is working on a campaign against illicit money transfer from African countries. He moved a parliamentary resolution on investigating Tanzanians with illicit money in Swiss Bank Accounts and other offshore havens. He reads and writes regularly on issues close to his heart. He manages a popular blog where he publishes his writings, thoughts and vision for Tanzania, Africa and the world. Moreover, he is well-known for engaging with people in debates via his Twitter account which has grown to become one of the most popular in Tanzania.

Zitto is aiming to run for the presidency in Tanzania during the 2015 elections.