Dar es Salaam, July 23 -- TANZANIA is gearing up for its general election this year, a time when citizens will head to the polls to elect the President, members of Parliament, and councilors. It is democracy in action, and guess what? It only works if people actually show up. Let us put it simply: you cant build a house by staring at bricks, and you cant build a better country by skipping the ballot box.

Every eligible citizen must participate and vote freely, for the candidate they believe in not the one their neighbor, pastor, cousin, or WhatsApp group told them to vote for. Casting your vote is not just some civic chore like renewing your drivers license.

It is a constitutional right and a sacred trust. It is also one of the very few...