Mbowe team to investigate sale of Uda shares

The Leader of the Opposition Camp in Parliament, Mr Freeman Mbowe

What you need to know:

Members of the team include two opposition MPs, two mayors and a deputy mayor, all from Dar City

Dar es Salaam. The Leader of the Opposition Camp in Parliament, Mr Freeman Mbowe, yesterday formed a five-member team of opposition leaders to investigate the payment of Sh5.8 billion by Simon Group to Dar es Salaam City Council (DCC) in the controversial sale of 51 per cent of Uda shares.

Members of the team are: Kinondoni MP Maulid Mtulia (CUF), Kawe MP Ms Halima Mdee (Chadema), Dar es Salaam Mayor Isaya Mwita (Chadema), Ubungo Mayor Boniface Jacob (Chadema) and Ilala Deputy Mayor Omari Kumbilamoto (CUF).

In addition, the five leaders will be charged with negotiating with the government on the matter.

The formation of the opposition team follows a Thursday meeting called by Mbowe to address the matter. On Wednesday last week, President Magufuli gave the opposition-led DCC until last Monday to determine how they were going to spend the money, warning that if it failed do so, he would hand it over to the ministry.

Last Friday, the DCC meeting to determine the matter ended with no agreement on how the money should be spent.

“We have discussed about the President’s statement in depth, that’s why we formed this team which will report to me directly,” explained Mr Mbowe.

In one or two weeks they will come up with their report which will be forwarded to the government, and I’m sure they will agree with us. This matter is affects all Dar es Salaam residents, today DCC is under the opposition who knows who would be leading it tomorrow. We have to put aside our political differences and work on this issue objectively,” said Mbowe.