Why Samia's working visit to Ruvuma Region matters

Songea. President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to commence a visit to Ruvuma Region effective from Tuesday, September 24, 2024, to inspect the implementation of development projects as stipulated in the CCM election manifesto.

During her visit, President Hassan is expected to close the week-long third cultural and traditional festival at the climax slated to take place at the Majimaji Stadium, here.

She is also expected to inaugurate 28 warehouses out of 50 to be built in the region, as well as visit agricultural projects including the Aviv Tanzania Limited Coffee Plantations and the Madaba Fertiliser Distribution Centre in the region. The Head of State is also set to launch the mineral trading centre that has been built in Tunduru District in the region.

Briefing journalists on the visit, on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, Ruvuma Regional Commissioner (RC) Colonel Ahmed Abbas Ahmed said preparations for the president’s visit were in good shape.

“We are ready to welcome the President for the third edition of the cultural and traditional festival and the inspection of the execution of development projects,” said the RC.

“Ruvuma being the country’s food basket region, the President will visit several agricultural projects, including the AVIV coffee plantation and the Madaba fertiliser distribution centre, and she will also launch one warehouse representing the 27 others built in the region out of 50 targeted warehouses,” he added.

Speaking during the event, the minister for Arts, Culture and Sports, Dr Damas Ndumbaro, said the festival will be attended by cultural and traditional groups from all 31 regions across Tanzania, the Mainland and Zanzibar, as well as various famous artists in the country. The President will continue touring the region until September 29.

“Currently, ministers from different sectors are visiting districts in Ruvuma Region as part of the presidential visit,” he said.

Ministers that have already arrived in the region apart from Dr Ndumbaro, who doubles as Songea Urban Constituency Member of Parliament, are the minister for Transport, Prof Makame Mbarawa, the Agriculture minister, Mr Hussein Bashe, and the deputy minister for Minerals, Dr Stephen Kiruswa.

Mr Bashe told journalists during the briefing that the government has conducted a feasibility study for the warehouse project aimed at preserving the targeted three million metric tonnes of cereal.

“Fifty warehouses of the total targeted facilities will be built in Ruvuma Region, as 28 facilities are being constructed in the first phase,” he said.

He said the government has distributed soil testing equipment to agriculture extension officers across the country to enhance the countrywide soil testing exercise.

He said motorcycles have also been issued to agricultural officers, vehicles to regional agriculture officers, and that another phase of vehicle distribution to district agricultural officers was in the last stages, ready for distribution.

“An assessment should be conducted at the government farm located in Lubecha to understand the level of farmers’ invasion as the ministry finalises the process to turn the implementation land for the Build Better Tomorrow (BBT) targeting the youth from Ruvuma Region alone,” he said.

The Minister of Water, Mr Jumaa Aweso, said currently, the water supply in Ruvuma Rural stood at 70 percent against the 85 target reaching 2025.

“We are executing 30 strategic projects in different villages in the region that will facilitate the realisation of the 85 percent target reaching 2025,” he said.

Deputy minister for Minerals, Dr Kiruswa, said apart from high-quality coal, the region is also blessed with uranium deposits whose extraction project nears commencement.