Citizenship establishes the legal relationship between an individual and the state and provides the foundation for the enjoyment of rights and fulfilment of civic obligations. In Tanzania, citizenship by birth and descent is generally determined by parental citizenship and the circumstances of birth. However, administrative practice may require individuals to renounce a foreign parent’s nationality as a condition for recognition of Tanzanian citizenship, even where the foreign state does not legally recognise them as its citizens. This article examines the legal basis and implications of this practice. It argues that requiring renunciation of a nationality that an individual does not legally possess lacks a proper statutory foundation and creates legal uncertainty, with a consequent risk of statelessness. The article distinguishes between actual and presumed citizenship and contends that nationality should be established through objective legal evidence rather than assumptions based on parentage or place of birth. The study adopts a doctrinal legal approach, supplemented by interviews and practical cases involving affected persons. It is informed by the author’s doctoral research, Determination and Proof of Tanzania Citizenship, and draws on selected approaches in Kenya and Zimbabwe to illuminate alternative responses to nationality, parentage and renunciation. The article recommends administrative and policy reforms to align citizenship determination with law and strengthen protection of the right to nationality.

Dr. Clement B. Mubanga, Actual or Presumed Citizenship? Rethinking Renunciation Requirements for Persons of Mixed Parentage in Tanzania, Journal of Migration and Security Studies, 2026.