PM Nchemba orders return of contractors to stalled road projects

Serengeti. Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba has directed the Ministry of Works to instruct contractors who abandoned road projects due to funding constraints to return to site immediately, paving the way for stalled works to resume without further delay.

He issued the directive in Serengeti on Tuesday, July 1, 2026, during a public rally on the first day of his five-day working visit to the Mara Region.

Dr Nchemba said the government’s earlier decision to redirect funds from some road projects was deliberate, aimed at financing strategic national investments, including the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project and the Magufuli Bridge.

“It is not that we did not see the importance of these roads. The decision was necessary because those major projects, including the Mwalimu Nyerere Hydropower Project, were highly needed but faced significant external challenges,” he said.

He said the expansion of power transmission infrastructure had enabled electricity to reach all villages nationwide, but demand still outpaced generation, leading to instability and rationing that affected production and economic activity.

“It was because of that situation that we prioritised the dam project. The government tightened its budget to complete it, which was then about 70 percent complete. This project would not have been completed without the determination of the late President John Magufuli and his then deputy,” he said.

Dr Nchemba added that the project was consuming more than Sh300 billion per month, making it difficult to sustain funding for other infrastructure, including roads in Mara Region.

He said the government had now introduced measures to revive stalled projects, including redirecting funds previously channelled through the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) to the Road Fund.

He named the affected roads as Tarime–Mugumu and Sanzate–Mugumu, among others, saying implementation would resume in the 2026/27 financial year.

He added that Mara Region was not alone, as similar delays were being experienced nationwide.

During the same rally, the Prime Minister ordered an end to the confiscation of traders’ working tools, particularly for small-scale operators, saying offenders should instead be fined in accordance with the law.

“The practice of confiscating tools such as motorcycles, bicycles, carts and food vendors’ equipment must stop. There is no need to destroy someone’s capital. That is their workplace. We must act with responsibility,” he said.

On public servants accused of negligence and ethical breaches, Dr Nchemba warned that the government would take strict action, saying offenders would no longer be transferred but dealt with at their duty stations, including dismissal.

“I have instructed public service authorities that any civil servant who acts contrary to regulations will not be transferred elsewhere. They will be dealt with at their respective stations, including dismissal,” he said.

Deputy Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Mr Kaspar Mmuya said measures had been taken to address land disputes, including plans to survey all 78 villages in Serengeti District.

He said the exercise would be completed within five years and would provide a lasting solution to boundary disputes between villages, wards and institutions.

Minister for Defence and National Service, Dr Rhimo Nyansaho, said completion of road projects in Serengeti would improve internal connectivity and link the district with other parts of the Mara Region and beyond.

Dr Nyansaho urged residents to uphold peace, saying it transcends religion, ethnicity and political affiliation and remains a shared responsibility.

Before the rally, Dr Nchemba inspected the Serengeti District Council administration building, noting that the government had constructed 150 administrative buildings in councils over the past five years.

According to Tanzania Building Agency (TBA) Mara Regional Manager Jeje Jeje, the project expected to cost more than Sh4.5 billion, is 42 percent complete, and is scheduled for completion in April 2028.