President Magufuli: I’ve finally moved to Dodoma

Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli yesterday announced that he has finally shifted his presidential base from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.

The Head of State made the revelation at Sokoine Centre in Chamwino District, soon after he got registered in the voter register ahead of the forthcoming civic elections slated for November 14, this year.

“I was in Katavi Region, but I decided to come to my home city, Dodoma, to register my name because this is now my official address. I’ve come with my wife to get registered,” he told journalists present.

Dr Magufuli urged Tanzanians to continue showing up at their voter registration centres and have their names listed in order to use their constitutional right of voting in the forthcoming civic elections next month.

The plan to make Dodoma the government seat was hatched by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere in 1973. This plan has come to fruition near half a century later, meaning that the government will be better positioned to serve the entire country from Dodoma.

In April, this year, when President Magufuli launched the ‘government city’ at Mtumba, some 30 kilometres from Dodoma City Centre, he said that he was ready to shift to the new capital, but he was being delayed by his mother who was critically ill.

“I will move soon. My mother is critically sick and that has prevented me from shifting here at the moment. But I want to assure you that the move to Dodoma is now complete,” said President Magufuli during the April event.

In September 2017, the Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, and most ministers were the first to shift to Dodoma, followed by Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan and last was President Magufuli.

Currently, all the ministries and most of the key government departments and agencies are already based in Dodoma.