Ministry of Home Affairs Website

Brief History PDF Print E-mail
Introduction

The President issued a notice on assignment of Ministerial responsibility (instrument) vide Government Notice No.20 of February, 2008. This assignment of responsibilities and functions is a creation of the second Cabinet in the fourth Phase Government. In that creation, the Ministry of Public Safety have been merged with the Ministry of Home Affairs and establish a new Ministry of Home Affairs.

 

The Ministry of Home Affairs of the United Republic of Tanzania is one of the strategic ministries of the government whose core functions are to maintain Law and Order and protect life and property. The Ministry is serving a population of about 35 million people, according to 2002 population census, scattered on an area of about 945.087 square kilometres.
Location
The Ministry is based in Dar es Salaam, a Coastal City along the Indian Ocean. Out of the headquarters the Ministry has various departmental offices in the regions (provinces) and districts all over the country.
Situational Analysis
The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently comprised of four fully-fledged Departments, namely Police Force, Prisons Services, Immigration Services, Refugees Services, and Fire and Rescue Services. At the same time the Ministry Headquarters has functions that include Personnel and Administration, Policy and Planning, Accounts and Finance, Registration of Societies, Community Service Secretariat, Information, Education and Communication, and National Projects under the Ministry. The core function of the Ministry of Home Affairs is the maintenance of law and order. Historically the role of maintenance of law and order in the then Tanganyika (Tanzania Mainland) was the task of the Army throughout the period of Germany Colonial rule. Apparently the nucleus of the Home Ministry was the Police and Prisons organs which came into being then the British Colonial rulers who replaced the Germans issued decree of law and order until 1931 when they were formally separated to form two different departments. At independence in 1961 the Prisons and the Police Departments formed the nucleus of the Ministry’s initial functions. Other departments were established later, which included Immigration Department, Refugees department, Fire and Rescue Services, and Inter-ministerial Anti-Drug Commission. Through the on-going Public Service sector Reforms, the Inter-ministerial Anti drug Commission was shifted to the Prime Ministers Office. After the December 2005 general elections and the accession into power of the Fourth Phase government, the Ministry of Home Affairs was split into two, that is, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Public Safety and Security under which the Police force will operate. The country’s peace and stability and its attractiveness to both domestic and especially foreign investment rely on the services delivered by the current Ministry of Home Affairs.
 
You are here  : Home About the Ministry History