Addressing a campaign rally in Songea Municipality, the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential candidate highlighted progress in key sectors and urged residents to continue supporting her leadership.
Songea. President Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday unveiled her vision to transform Ruvuma Region into a major centre of commerce and development, citing achievements already delivered under her administration and reaffirming her government’s commitment to regional growth.
Addressing a campaign rally in Songea Municipality, the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential candidate highlighted progress in key sectors and urged residents to continue supporting her leadership.
A section of the crowd that attended CCM’s campaign rally in Songea yesterday. PHOTO | COURTESY
See said many of the issues raised by local parliamentary candidates were already being addressed through ongoing initiatives in healthcare, education, infrastructure, energy and agriculture.
“Much of what has been said here today is already in motion in Ruvuma,” President Hassan told supporters, noting that her administration had gone beyond the commitments outlined in the CCM manifesto.
She listed improvements in access to water, education, electricity and health facilities, saying: “We’ve exceeded expectations in delivering services that directly touch the lives of our people.”
The President announced that the new University of Accountancy of Arusha campus in Songea is nearing completion and will host up to 12,000 students annually, while also unveiling plans for a vocational training centre for persons with disabilities in Liganga and Karambo.
On agriculture, she cited the impact of government subsidies for fertilisers and farming inputs, which have boosted food production in areas such as Songea and Madaba. She also disclosed plans for coffee and avocado processing plants as well as a sugar investment in Peramiho to create jobs for young people.
“We want to export value-added products, not just raw crops,” she said.
President Hassan reaffirmed her target to connect every Tanzanian village to electricity by 2025, with more than half already linked to the national grid. She said reliable energy would power rural industries, including new forest-based ventures planned for Madaba.
Acknowledging Ruvuma’s central role in food security, she praised the region’s contribution to grain reserves and growing maize exports to neighbouring countries.
She also linked her local agenda to continental goals, recalling her participation in the African Coffee Summit where leaders pledged to process at least half of Africa’s coffee locally by 2035.
To tackle congestion in Songea, she committed to building a bypass road. This idea was earlier raised by Songea Urban parliamentary candidate Damas Ndumbaro.
President Hassan also emphasised completing ongoing road and bridge projects before launching new ones to ensure efficient use of resources.
On communications, the President said mobile network coverage in remote areas must be strengthened to unlock the full economic potential of the Southern Corridor.
“For the Southern Corridor to become a true economic zone, we must have reliable communication systems.”
President Hassan also cautioned farmers against reselling subsidised agricultural inputs, urging communities to use government support responsibly.
“When you sell these inputs for profit, you deny your neighbours the benefit of government support,” she warned.
Meanwhile, CCM running mate Emmanuel Nchimbi commended President Hassan for ushering in what he described as a period of profound economic and social transformation.
He recalled a past visit by the President to Songea when she publicly dismissed speculation about his retirement from politics.
“When she heard that I had stepped back, she said I was still too young to retire and that the country still had work for me,” Dr Nchimbi said.
“Later she appointed me ambassador, then CCM Secretary General and now she has shown her confidence again by nominating me as her running mate.”
Dr Nchimbi said the nomination was not just a personal honour but a source of pride for the people of Ruvuma, urging voters to rally behind the President.
Songea Urban parliamentary candidate Damas Ndumbaro also pledged support, praising the President’s record of keeping promises.
“There are many reasons to believe in President Hassan. When she makes a promise, she fulfils it,” he said, pointing to agricultural reforms and improved infrastructure, including street lighting and road expansion in Songea.
