Tido mhando biography examples
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She served for three years as Executive Director of the multi-arts Zanzibar International Film Festival.
Tido Mhando retires.....
Moses Mohamed
TV Producer at Azam Media Limited
Published Dec 20, 2023
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On 17th December, 2023 during the Azam TV Gala Dinner the unexpected happened.
I was at home, neither following on TV nor Social Media, I was occupied by family issues that hampered my participation in the once in a year or maybe a lifetime experience that was taking place at Mlimani City, Dar es Salaam.
Dustan Tido Mhando, the first African journalist to be hired at British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was retiring as a group CEO for Azam Media Limited after he successfully and admirably head the company to a nine-year achievement in all aspects of media, shortly Mhando who famously referred by the middle name “Tido” is a media guru.
His retirement was partly a shock to some of the media players because his stewardship in every media house he worked on has been by itself a living legacy and proof of his passion, knowledge and leadership acumen.
When he resigned from BBC to join the then Televisheni ya Taifa (TVT) meaning “National Television”, he renovated it to a more vibrant, energised and youth-faced Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), a level of success which is referred as the highest point of success the national broadcasting corporation has ever enjoyed so far in the eyes of some audience.
Following a 7-successful stint at TBC, Tido moved to Mwananchi Corporation Limited, a Kenyan Daily Nation sister newspaper owned by Nation Media Company Limited where helped the print media to strengthen its grip and regained its shaking prestige; attracted new audience and changed perception of many especially young people with variety of contents with special respect to feature analysis that called for reading hunger amongst the readers.
It was “no story” when the Media Council of Tanzania accoladed him with a life-time achievement award to recognise and appreciate his contribution to the evolution and revolution of media industry in Tanzania.
Personally, I had a privilege to know “Tido is my number one fan when am on air covering the Social Media “Mitandaoni” segment of the Azam News”, I was not only honored but also surprised when he stepped in during one of the regular post-mortem gathering and said “Moses, do you know am your number one fan?”, I smiled shyly not knowing what to say….so he continued “Am your number one fan”.
Not only the words linger in my mind but also it assures me of the right audience and pushes me to work harder to win more hearts and support from professionals and non professionals.
I can not say much about humanly-side of Tido but he is a fatherly leader, gentle, soft speaking, considerate and very much caring.
Legend Tido Mhando is still regarded by far as one of the exceptional talents in media industry……though retiring but his intelligence and influence is still marketable and needed.
I will continue to learn from legends, Mr Tido you are my admirer.
I won’t say goodbye.....I have much to learn from you.
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More articles by Moses Mohamed
Samia picks Tido Mhando as Presidential adviser for Information, Communications
Dodoma. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has appointed veteran broadcaster Tido Mhando as her new Presidential Adviser for Information and Communications, returning one of Tanzania’s most respected media figures to a strategic national role.
A statement issued by Chief Secretary Ambassador Dr Moses Kusiluka on November 19, 2025 confirmed the appointment, placing Mr Mhando at the heart of State House communication strategy.
His mandate will involve guiding the President on media affairs, public messaging and information flow at a time when the administration seeks clearer, more coordinated engagement with citizens and institutions.
Mr Mhando, known for his decades of leadership in broadcasting and media development across Tanzania and beyond, is expected to bring seasoned judgement and industry expertise to the role.
His return to public service marks a significant move in strengthening the government’s communication framework as it tackles political, social and economic priorities.
The appointment was announced alongside other senior changes, including the naming of Bakari Machumu as Director of Presidential Communications and Lazaro Nyalandu as Ambassador.
Before becoming Managing Director of Tanzania Broadcasting Services, Tido had been the Head of the BBC Swahili service.
Alex has also had experience as a marketing executive and Public Relations officer for Rhema centre; a literary resource centre that has since evolved into a Christian women's network that aims to equip women for the challenges contemporary life poses.
She was awarded the 2004 Eve Woman of the Year (arts and culture) for her contribution to literature and the arts in Kenya.
An artist with a Bachelors Degree in Industrial and Fine Art (BIFA) and as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), from Makerere University, Alex also spent a year teaching secondary school student's fine art alongside his broadcasting duties.
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In 1990 Tido was the first journalist to report the disappearance and eventual death of the then Kenyan foreign minister, Dr Robert Ouko, and in January 2001 he was the last journalist to interview President Laurent Kabila of DR Congo.
He has over 35 years of broadcasting experience and is one of the best known voices in East Africa. A long list of political figures interviewed by Tido include DR Congo President Joseph Kabila, Mwai Kibaki before he became President of Kenya and his predecessor, Daniel Arap Moi, Rwandan Presidents Paster Bizimungu and Paul Kagame, Ugandan Presidents Idi Amin and Yoweri Museveni and Zanzibar Presidents Salmin Amour and Amani Karume.
He has been actively involved in broadcasting for the past nine years having begun his career in 1997 at Top Radio, in Uganda before becoming Programme Director of Kampala FM.
After four years, he moved to Radio One FM - one of the leading FM stations in Uganda's capital Kampala.
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Writer
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, a writer from Kenya, is also a conservation and cultural worker, arts manager and traveller.
Tido started his broadcasting career as a DJ with Radio Tanzania, later becoming its popular sports commentator and presenter.
Alex Jakana, Producer/Presenter
Alex Jakana has been a producer and presenter of the BBC's African news and current affairs programmes Focus on Africaand Network Africasince 2004.
Tido is one of few East African journalists to have interviewed current and former East and Central African presidents.
Yvonne is a short story writer who also won the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing in 2003 for her story, Weight of Whispers.
While there he took on and revitalised the station's midmorning show as well as hosted of the station's daily talk show, Spectrumwhere he regularly interviewed politicians, policy makers, as well as the movers and shakers of Uganda's political, social, and economic landscapes.
She has had several pieces - fiction and non-fiction, published in different publications worldwide. He moved to London in 1991 to work in the BBC's international radio headquarters at Bush House. Tido has also reported for a number of broadcasters including Deutsche Welle, Voice of America and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, known at that time as the Voice of Kenya.
Tido was BBC Swahili's first correspondent in Kenya joining in 1985.
She has worked and lived in several countries and has work experiences in varied fields including ICT, social development, microfinance, water management and conservation. Over the years Tido achieved a high level of respect from journalists in Swahili-speaking Africa for the depth and quality of his work which has seen him reporting from the heart of key events in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda.
Their long and revealing discussion took place just weeks before his assassination.
She is working on her first novel, The Ochre Shadows.