The Bunge, Tanzania's Parliament, is one of the most important institutions in the country. Its importance is reflected in the resources allocated to it. For 2009/10, Tanzania’s Parliament was allocated Tshs 62 billion. Since Parliament comprises of 320 members, this amount averages to Tshs 194 million per MP.

Most MPs (231) are elected by their respective constituencies, but a significant number (88), or about 28% of all MPs, have been appointed: 75 as special seats legislators and 5 as representatives from the Zanzibar House of Representatives. In addition Parliament comprises the Attorney General and 8 appointees by the President.

One of Parliament's core functions is to oversee the executive branch of Government. Parliament is to ensure that the country is well governed, that services are properly delivered to citizens, and that money entrusted to the Government is well spent and accounted for. In Parliament, MPs can hold the Executive to account by making three kinds of interventions: MPs can ask basic questions, they can ask supplementary questions and they can make contributions during debates.

This note assesses the performance of MPs by considering how actively they participated in the sessions of Parliament. The period covered are the seventeen sessions of Parliament from 2005 to 2009 (the 18^th session which started on 26^th January 2010 is not included).