Relief as Msimbazi River project set to commence

Dar es Salaam. The contractor for the much-awaited project that will bring a new face to the Msimbazi River Basin, complete with a flyover at the Jangwani area in Dar es Salaam, will be known before the end of this month.

The revelation by the coordinator for the Sh650 billion Msimbazi River Development Project, Mr Humprey Kanyenye, should be good news to city residents who have seen little progress on the project since it was announced several years ago.

The World Bank is financing the Msimbazi River Development Project, which involves improving the river channel and floodplain, relocating the Jangwani rapid bus depot, addressing informal settlements, establishing a city park, reforesting riverbanks, and managing solid waste to enhance the overall capacity and environmental sustainability, among others.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Mr Kanyenye said the contractor for the flyover and the consultant will be announced by the end of this month of February.

“After announcing the tender, we are now in final stages of getting a contractor and a consultant for the bridge construction and its management,” he said.

Similarly, said Mr Kanyenye, the project supervisor for the Msimbazi River Development Project will also be known by the end of this month.

“So far, so good and everything is progressing well and as we planned,” he said.

A total of 2,592 households will be affected by the project and are listed for compensation, Mr Kanyenye said.

“Out of that number, 2,392 have been evaluated, and some 2,102 have been compensated. The remaining 227 have not been paid due to various challenges, including family conflicts and inheritance-related issues, “he said.

In addition, Mr Kanyenye said that there are also 184 landowners who rejected the compensation on the ground that ‘the amount was too small’.

There were also those who have not been reached because they live in areas that are not accessible, while others came after the evaluation exercise had been completed.

He, however, noted that the government will continue to engage with the affected people, including those who have maintained that the evaluation exercise did not take into account the true value of their properties.

The government has also found alternative plots in Kigamboni and Chanika where the relocated families can buy land and construct new homes. Each family will receive Sh4 million to purchase a plot.

“Starting today (February 7, 2024) and going onwards, eligible families will start receiving Sh4 million each through their bank accounts, and soon, the exercise to demolish the Jangwani rapid bus depot will start,” he said.

Mr Kanyenye stressed that by March 15, 2024, they will be able to finalise all payments to those who have signed the documents.

In an effort to ensure that grievances are worked on effectively, the government decided to hire a consultant who has been reviewing complaints from aggrieved residents of the project area.

The decision to give Sh4 million to each of the affected landowners follows a directive from President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who, through the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government of Tanzania (PO-RALG), directed that each affected family should be paid a flat rate of Sh4 million so they can buy plots in Kigamboni and Chanika to restart new life.

The Msimbazi River Basin project will take six years to complete.

So far, a total of Sh53.1 billion has already been spent on compensation for the victims of the project.