SIXTY-ONE YEARS OF THE UNION

Posted On: 25, April 2025

In the silence of thought and the thrill of history, today we stand before a great national symbol – the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, founded on the pure dreams of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere and Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume. On April 26, 1964, they signed not just a piece of paper, but the heart of our young nation — laying the foundation for what is today known as the United Republic of Tanzania.

When the Union was founded, Mwalimu Nyerere stated, “If we say we must wait until everything is perfect before we unite, then we shall never unite. Unity is built through intention, not perfection.” And Karume, with revolutionary wisdom, emphasized, “We are together because we know, without unity, we will be weakened – in security, in economy, and even socially.”

61 years have passed. Today’s Tanzania is not yesterday’s Tanzania. It has been built through vision, hard work, solidarity, and through institutions. One of those institutions is Ardhi Institute Morogoro (ARIMO), rooted in knowledge and branching with hope for the nation.

ARIMO: Where Vision Becomes Reality

ARIMO was established in 1978, holding a reserve of dreams — the dream of seeing young people from every corner of the Union: from the Mainland and the Isles, all equipped with knowledge of Land Planning and Surveying, both in classrooms and in the field. In this 61st year of the Union, ARIMO proudly celebrates these major achievements:

Increased Student Enrollment: A sign that the programs offered here have gone beyond national standards, attracting a large number of students — from Zanzibar to Kigoma, and from Mtwara to Mwanza.

Preparation of a Master Plan for a New Campus: We are now planning our future in a modern way. The Institute is preparing to grow — a new campus that will become a center of excellence in Land Management, Cartography, Land Surveying, Geospatial Analysis, Engineering, and Urban Planning for Tanzania and East Africa.

Land Policy – 2023 Edition: Tanzania now has a new roadmap for managing land resources. ARIMO has been part of the national discussions — producing experts who plan and survey land for the sustainable development of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Skilled and Capable Graduates: Today, our graduates don’t just look for jobs — they create them. They start companies, implement projects, survey land, plan cities, and analyze geospatial data using modern technology.

As the Principal of the Institute, Mr. Charles Saguda, said, “Every government phase has made its contribution, but this sixth phase has put special emphasis on ICT, inclusive education, and the development of educational infrastructure — areas that ARIMO has embraced wholeheartedly.”

The Union: Achievements and Challenges

To ignore the challenges would be unfair to history. This Union has not been without turbulence:

Union Grievances still need deep dialogue platforms. In the land sector, differences in administrative and legal systems between the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar and the Union Government create confusion in the joint implementation of land management, planning, and surveying issues.

Equity in opportunities, resource distribution, and representation between both sides remains an ongoing conversation.

But despite these, the Union has continued to sail across oceans of doubt, and today it lives on — because our Union is not just on paper, but in the hearts and commitment of Tanzanians.

Recently, Professor Ernest Kihanga, Chairperson of ARIMO’s Advisory Board, stated, “ARIMO is an example of how institutions can serve as bridges that connect people, knowledge, and shared hope. The Union needs such institutions to grow, thrive, and endure.”

Conclusion: A National Call

61 years is not just a number – it’s a testimony. A testimony that a nation can be built on vision. And that when such a vision is tested by challenges, it can stand strong on the foundations of education, unity, and patriotism.

As we commemorate the Union this year, let us continue to honor the founders — Mwalimu Nyerere and Sheikh Karume — and let us make this Union a golden legacy. As a nation, we have the responsibility to sustain it — not by words alone, but through action, just as ARIMO carries out that duty every day.

Nyerere and Karume united Tanganyika and Zanzibar; today we celebrate that Union. So we must ask ourselves: the Tanzania we envision 100 years after the Union — what must you and I do today to make it real?

Wishing you joyful Union Day celebrations from ARIMO.