BOOK REVIEW: Gelase G. Mutahaba, Benson Bana & Ernest Mallya, Reforming Tanzania’s Public Sector: Assessment and Future Directions. Dar es Salaam: Mkuki and Nyota Publishers, 2017. 465 pages, ISBN 978-9987-70-830-22

Abstract

Despite international support, continued expressions of political commitment, and general agreement on the desirability of a strong public sector, the public sector reform (PSR) agenda in the region is better known for its many failures than its limited successes (Yanguas, 2017). Why many states in Africa seem to be stuck in a spiral of corruption and institutional weakness while others somehow manage to build effective bureaucracies that are able and willing to tackle the challenges of development? These interesting questions raised by Yangus, capture the dynamics and politics of public sector reforms which have for decades been regarded by both international donors, government officials, and public administration scholars as critical for an efficient, responsive, transparent, and accountable public sector, particularly in the global south.  Drawing from Tazania’s experience, Mutahaba, Bana, and Mallya in Reforming Tanzania’s Public Sector: Assessment and Future Directions shed some light on those pertinent questions.