Breaking Barriers: The Inspiring Journey of Eng. Zena Ahmed Said  

From Jangwani Girls to the hallowed halls of leadership, Engineer Zena Ahmed Said’s journey is nothing short of inspirational. With over two decades of experience in civil engineering and procurement, Zena has meticulously climbed the professional ladder, never forgetting her humble beginnings.

As the current Chief Secretary and Secretary to the Revolutionary Council in the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, she holds a position where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of Zanzibar and Tanzania. Her trailblazing path is marked by her unwavering dedication to her core values and principles, which guide her in every decision she makes.

It was a pleasant afternoon on the first Friday of a month to remember-September, when ZiBi Magazine had the privilege of securing an exclusive interview with her at her office at State House Zanzibar.

Appearing on time and wearing her trademark rediating smile and cracking jokes whenever possible, to make everyone at ease, she took us through her story on how she went from Jangwani Girls to ‘Ikulu,’ a Kiswahili word for State House.

Her story is a testament to the power of resilience, integrity and relentless pursuit of excellence, inspiring a generation of women to break barriers and redefine possibilities.

Growing up as an innocent young girl, Eng. Zena knew that as an adult, one could become a teacher, a doctor, a nurse or a police officer, period.

“I was exposed to such people due to going to school or hospital and the fact that polices officers could be seen easily,” she said.

“So to be honest, I had no idea there was such thing as civil engineering and none of my close relatives was a civil servant.”

Eng. Zena began laying the foundation for her remarkable career in 1986 when she joined Jagwani Girls Secondary School for her Ordinary Level education. Her academic journey at Jagwani continued with her Advanced Level education from 1990 to 1992, where she honed her knowledge, particularly in the subjects that would later serve as the backbone of her professional career.

At Jangwani, her leadership talent was spotted by teachers and appreciated by her fellow students. For, while doing her Advanced Level there, she served the promionent institution as the Head Girl, not a mean feat then and now.

She then earned a scholarship to pursue B.Sc. in Civil Engineering at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Türkiye. Upon returning to Tanzania, she worked briefly in the private sector with COWI Consult as Works Supervisor from 2000 to 2002 before securing a job with the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) in the coast region of Tanzania mainland. She started in the directorate of maintenance where she worked as maintenance engineer and later the directorate of procurement.

But how did she transition from engineering to procurement and then to high-level public service roles?

“I actually didn’t transition by choice. My transfer from the Directorate of Maintenance where I was working as a Maintenance Engineer to the Directorate of Procurement  motivated me to do Master’s in Public Procurement for Sustainable Development at Turin University, Italy, so that I could do my work in the new area more efficiently,” she said.

The high level Public Service roles are discretion of the appointing authorities which in “my roles were the late President of the United Republic of Tanzania Dr. John Pombe Magufuli who first appointed me as Regional Administrative Secretary for Tanga Region and later Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy.

My current role as Secretary of the Revolutionary Council and Chief Secretary is the appointment of His Excellency Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, the President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council.”

The transfer to the new directorate came after she took leave without pay and worked with the World Bank Tanzania Country Office as a Consultant from 2006  to 2008 which exposed her to international work culture, further enriching her curriculum vitae.

Asked about a few lessons she learnt and some leadership secrets that made her stand out from the think crowd of equally deserving Tanzanians, she pointed out honesty as the best policy.

“Having an open door policy is also helpful as it gives one an opportunity to learn from others as well as to share with others something useful,” she said.

“I have also learnt that it is important to trust and verify especially when it comes to decision-making. It is difficult to mention all lessons as they are many but one I can mention is that hard work pays. You don’t need to lobby for appointments; do your best in anything you do and let your work speak for you, it will take you to places you never expected you would go.”

On specific project or decision she made that has a lasting impact on her organization or  communities she served, engineer Zena remembers her time in Tanga as Regional Administrative Secretary with nostalgia.

“We decided to have a project which included building of offices for ward executive officers, a house for District Administrative Secretary of Lushoto and made major renovations of various buildings, including District Commissioners’ houses.

Eng. Zena remembers there was one rest house in Kilindi which was partially built and could not be finished due to lack of funds, so “we decided to include it as part of the project.”

Kilindi did not have decent hotels back then so it was difficult for national leaders to sleep there. “We made sure it was budgeted for and completed and is now used by our leaders.”

The Second Vice President of Zanzibar has stayed there more than once and “had called me to congratulate me because somebody had informed him that it was completed during my tenure,” she  stated.

Every leader posseses key principles that guide their decision-making process. She had this to say:

“I use technical people relevant to the subject matter to get important information which provide me with the facts I need to consider in making the decision. I ask appropriate questions to get clarity on areas that are unclear, I verify the information whenever possible then make a decision with all fairness considered.”

As Head of Public Service in Zanzibar, engineer Zena has the responsibility to ensure effective service delivery to support the private sector as Zanzibar opens up its economy. How is she fairing in this regard?

“Ensuring effective service delivery has to be done collectively. Each ministry and public institution has staff who are assigned various tasks. It is the responsibility of each ministry and the institution to make sure that the staff deliver as per plan and also take disciplinary measures to those who fail to deliver without justified reasons,” she said.

The archipelago has Zanzibar National Business Council (ZNBC) and Business Forum where public and private sector meet annually to discuss various issues, including challenges that need to be addressed by the government.

The ZNBC various committees, which meet quarterly, do the same. The government through various institutions continuously addresses the identified challenges. This ensures private sector is supported by resolving issues which are identified as challenges in the various fora. There is also Zanzibar Fair Competition Commission to oversee fair business practices.”

Are there any strategies she implemented to foster a reliable partnership between the public and private sectors?

“The government is serious in advocating Public-Private Partnership and has even established PPP Department under the President Office (Labour, Investment and Economic Affairs). The Office is in the final stage of preparing a PPP Guideline.

Each Ministry is required to identify projects which could be implemented through PPP and these are made public for people to express their interest.”

We live in the era of gender equality in leadership. Engineer Zena was asked to share her views on key qualities she considers essential for women in leadership roles, especially in industries that have traditionally been male-dominated.

She says sometimes female leaders are labelled as being emotional; so, “emotional intelligence coupled with social intelligence is key.” She adds that it is also important to have good skills in communication, conflict resolution and other skills which are essential for effective leadership, irrespective of gender.

Tanzania has made strides in bridging gender gap in leadership and decision-making, but the work ahead is voluminous. Engineer Zena was asked if she strives to inspire and shape future of women in leadership positions in Zanzibar in particular and Tanzania in general.

“Seeing is believing. Many girls can now easily see that it is possible for them to attain high leadership positions. This is because we now have many women in various positions including Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Regional and District Commissioners, Permanent and Deputy Permanent Secretaries just to mention a few. But most of all, we have Her Excellency Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan our President at the top. So women in Tanzania can get inspired from many women leaders around us.”

Finally, the historic appointment as the first woman Chief Secretary in the history of Zanzibar. What doe this mean to her? “First it’s a great honour and privilege to be given this opportunity and I thank His Excellency Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi for trusting me with this position.

It is also scary at the same time. My performance—good or bad— will be a reference in the future for other women. So I have the burden to make sure that I do very well so that it will be a good reference. And this is because some people in our society have a tendency to judge the performance of all women based on the performance of one, especially when it’s a bad one.

People have mixed expectations and opinions about women in higher positions. There are those who believe that women should not be trusted with high position. Luckily, we have one super woman who has done extremely well in not one but two highest positions in the country. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan is an exemplary leader.”

Parting shot, with responsibilty come challenges.

“The bigger challenge I see is that people are slow at embracing changes; so, we are not moving as fast as we could. The development which have been achieved in this 8th phase government would have been even more if everyone understood their assignments and were on board doing their best.

As a registered professional engineer and a member of esteemed societies, Zena has consistently shattered glass ceilings, paving the way for countless women across the nation to dream bigger. As the first female Chief Secretary and Secretary to the Revolutionary Council in Zanzibar’s history, reflects the transformative power of leadership driven by intellect, vision, and dedication to public service.

With her unwavering commitment to development and inclusivity, Engineer Zena stands as a beacon of hope for a more progressive and sustainable future. Her story will remain an enduring testament to the power of resilience, expertise, and leadership in the ever-evolving landscape of governance and her legacy will undoubtedly continue to shape the nation’s path towards prosperity. It is noteworthy that Eng. Zena juggles between the taxing public service duties and family responsibility. She has been married to Hamidu Majallah Athumani since June 1992 and the couple is blessed with three children.

Hissham Abdukadir

Mass Communication & PR Strategists (PR, Creative Content Design & Media Management)