NEW UK ENVOY PRAISES THE CHARACTER OF TANZANIANS

PICS BY  URBAN PULSE CREATIVE MEDIA 

Newly appointed UK Ambassador to Tanzania, Her Excellency,  Dianna Melrose has expressed her joy at coming to Tanzania by saying she is looking forward to the task at hand.

Ambassador Melrose  was speaking during a small dinner hosted by UK envoy His Excellency Peter Kallaghe and  wife Joyce Kallaghe in London  on her way to Tanzania last Thursday.

Ambassador Dianna Melrose signing the guest book. On her right is Ambassador’s wife Mama Joyce Kallaghe.

“"I feel very privileged ” she said. “The Tanzanians I have met have been so friendly and so welcoming. Such kind and generous people that I know I am going to have a wonderful time, “she went on lapping this unprecedented praise, “I know that my compatriots who have spent time Tanzania  seem to have left with a deep love that I have not find  with other British people who have lived in other countries .”

The new ambassador explained the fact that Tanzania is moving forward, has a huge potential and is very important for the UK- as her biggest investor.

 His Excellency Ambassador Peter Kallaghe raising a glass to toast with guests  to invite Ambassador Dianna Melrose to speak

“When my predecessor Diane Corner met President Kikwete, he said that now we are at an important stage of our relationship; we have reached a new bilateral stage.” And so her position “is to strengthen those links. Lucky me and thanks very much.”

     Her Excellency Ambassador Dianna Melrose speaking briefly. On her left is His Excellency  Peter Kallaghe

Outgoing Ambassador Corner who served since 2009  has been transferred to the Democratic Republic of  Congo.

The London dinner  was also attended by Ambassadors Ernest Rwamucyo (Rwanda) and Nkwelle Ekaney (Cameroon),Second Secretary to the High Commission, Allen Kuzilwa( whose desk  deals with education and international links focusing on NGOs) and former UK envoy to Canada (now retired) Antony Carey and wife Claire.

The newly appointed envoy- a linguist by training- and who can already speak a few Swahili words has tremendous experience working in development issues. Her last posting was as Ambassador of UK to Cuba from 2008 to 2012.

Her Excellency Ambassador Dianna Melrose (centre) with Ambassador Peter Kallaghe and wife Joyce Kallaghe

Born in Zimbabwe, Ambassador Melrose studied in the UK and began working as an interpreter, British Council then Oxfam in 1980. Oxfam which aims at fighting  poverty and injustice is active in at least 90 countries world wide and was hatched in the UK in 1942. Ambassador Melrose has also led key departments and policy sections in  the foreign office, Oxfam and  the Department for  International Development (DFID) to name a few.

Welcoming Ambassador Melrose, Mr Kallaghe said, she will find Tanzania to be dynamic.  He explained  we are now dealing with many changes particularly with a population of young educated people searching for answers and that we at a stage where deliberations of the new consitution are in motion. “Tanzania is blessed with national unity and we hope we will continue to live in peace. With Britain we share alot in common in the United Nations and the Commonwealth – now Prime Minister Cameron is in Africa. So your role is extremely important.”

Other attendees  were Tanzania’s UK representative of  Standard Chartered Bank ,Rweyunga Kazaura, British Tanzania Society members (BTS) Ron Fennel and wife Liz ( recently honoured with MBE for strentgthening ties between these two countries) editor of BTS’s  Tanzanian Affairs journal, David Brewin and London based Tanzanian businessman from Swift Freight company,  Abubakar Faraji.

  Her  Excellency Ambassador  Dianna Melrose doing an interview with reporters Freddy Macha  and Urban Pulse