Sagini praises RITA’s will-writing training

MARA: IN an effort to reduce unnecessary conflicts within communities, Deputy Minister for Constitution and Legal Affairs, Mr Jumanne Sagini has commended the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA) for providing training on the importance of writing wills and registering births and deaths.

The training involved District Administrative Secretaries (DAS) and Social Welfare Officers in the Lake Zone regions, enabling them to educate the community on the critical issues.

“Challenges related to inheritance persist in our society, where widows and rightful heirs often lose their rights following the death of parents, particularly when the father passes away. It is essential to educate citizens about the importance of writing wills while they are still alive,” Mr Sagini stated during the opening of the training at Kyabakari village, Butiama District, Mara Region.

He said that wills help to eliminate disputes, while the registration of births, deaths, marriages (including customary ones) and divorces is crucial for citizens. This registration allows them to access essential social services, including healthcare, employment, national identification cards and voter registration.

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Mr Sagini urged the training participants from the Lake Zone regions—Mara, Simiyu, Geita, Shinyanga and Mwanza—to prioritise the issues in their meetings and educate the communities
“Data obtained from registrations assists the government in planning development and social services,” he noted.

“I commend RITA for organising this important training, which, we believe, will bring significant changes by improving efficiency in serving citizens,” he added.

Mr Sagini also praised RITA for developing and implementing various strategies that have accelerated registration, including the creation of a digital system (eRITA) that allows citizens to submit applications and receive services digitally, without needing to visit RITA offices.

“The use of technology in service delivery aligns with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s vision of ensuring citizens receive services without hassle,” he stated.

Earlier, Chief Executive Officer of RITA, Mr Frank Kanyusi, noted that RITA has been conducting training, including holding meetings with stakeholders from various groups to build capacity, exchange experiences, identify challenges, and discuss better ways to enhance efficiency in serving citizens.

He said that the training focused on the importance of customary marriages, with RITA planning to implement strategies for registering them.

Additionally, he spoke about the progress of the initiative to register children under five years old, which is being implemented across all 26 regions in mainland Tanzania.

This initiative has enabled approximately 10.3 million children to receive birth certificates and has increased registration centres from 135 in 2013 to 11,257 in 2023 within 184 councils, involving 3,957 ward officials and 7,116 centres providing services for mothers, fathers and children.

“These are significant achievements made possible through the coordination of Social Welfare Officers who have received training from RITA,” Kanyusi said.