LONGIDO: PRIME Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba has said the government will continue to address citizens’ pressing challenges through improved social services, citing ongoing 29.5bn/- water projects in Longido District, Arusha Region as a key example.
The government has successfully implemented two major water projects benefiting residents of Namanga and Longido.
The first project, valued at 16bn/-, draws water from the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro at the River Simba source and channels it through Longido to Namanga.
The second initiative, the Sinya–Namanga Water Project worth 13.5bn/-, is expected to complement the first project and bring an end to years of water shortages in Longido District.
The prolonged water crisis has negatively affected residents’ wellbeing and hampered economic productivity, particularly among pastoral communities.
The Sinya–Namanga Water Project followed a comprehensive water survey that led to the drilling of 300-metre-deep wells in Sinya Ward, northwest of the Mount Kilimanjaro basin.
The wells have the capacity to produce more than 2.4 million litres of soft water per day.
Addressing residents at separate rallies in Sinya and Namanga yesterday, Dr Nchemba attributed the implementation of the projects to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s solution-oriented leadership.
He noted that shortly after assuming office, the president ordered a comprehensive water survey in Longido to identify permanent water sources.
Dr Nchemba said the president’s decision demonstrated her understanding of the severity of water shortages in the drought-prone district, where the crisis had threatened livelihoods and led to the loss of a significant number of livestock.
“The decision by Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan to insist that this project be implemented at any cost shows that she understood the enormous losses suffered by the people of Longido. There were families that once lived comfortably but fell into poverty after losing all their livestock due to lack of water,” he said.
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“This is a government that responds to citizens’ problems. With this remarkable intervention, Longido now stands among the beneficiaries of lasting solutions,” he added.
Upon completion, the Sinya–Namanga Water Project is expected to ensure adequate access to clean and safe water for all residents in the district.
The Prime Minister urged residents to protect the project’s infrastructure, including pipelines, to guarantee sustainable water supply.
He noted that addressing water shortages was a key pledge made by the ruling CCM during last October’s election campaign in Longido.
In a related development, Dr Nchemba inspected the newly completed Sinya Secondary School, saying the project reflected value for money and met the required standards.
“It is a good school with hostels and teachers’ houses,” he said, directing the Arusha Regional Commissioner, Mr Amos Makala, to ensure that the school is fenced.
He said the construction of the school demonstrates the sixth phase government’s commitment to bringing basic social services closer to the people.
Over the past four years of President Samia’s administration, 1,300 secondary schools have been built nationwide.
He said the government has constructed one girls’ science secondary school in every region, 143 administration blocks and a total of 79,000 classrooms across the country.
In the health sector, Dr Nchemba said that during the same period the government had built 119 district hospitals, 2,800 dispensaries and 649 health centres to improve access to healthcare services.
Addressing students at Sinya Secondary School, he encouraged them to study hard and informed them about the Samia Scholarship programme, which supports academically outstanding students.
Regarding cross-border trade at Namanga, the Prime Minister urged Tanzanians to maintain good relations with their Kenyan counterparts to strengthen economic cooperation and enhance people-topeople ties between the two countries.