SPECIAL REPORT : Turning Dodoma into hub of state a huge test

Dodoma. The long trek to Dodoma starts this month with the permanent shift of the Prime Minister’s Office.

That shift is expected to usher the actual move of the government to the de facto capital 43 years after the announcement to that effect.

The renewed commitment to move to Dodoma is yet another manifestation of the bold, no-nonsense, action-oriented governance style of President John Magufuli, who announced in Dodoma at a CCM meeting that he will make sure the government shifts to Dodoma in his first, five-year term of office.

President Magufuli’s statement ushered in a wave of announcements by government ministries and departments almost on a daily basis about shifting to Dodoma, raising concerns on budgetary issues as the move had not been adequately budgeted for in the 2016/17 budget tabled by Finance Minister Phililp Mpango in June.

The Dodoma Regional Commissioner, Mr Jordan Rugimbana, who heads a special preparatory comittee formed by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has also cautioned on the “rush” to Dodoma, saying it will cause caos and panic.

Existing facilites

Mr Rugimbana said the existing facilities can not accomodate the whole government. The Prime Minister Office has adequate facilities in Dodoma where the Prime Minister himself has been spending most of the time as the leader of government business in Parliament.

The Local Authorities and Regional Administration, which is now under the President’s Office, moved to Dodoma a couple of years ago.

All ministers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries and their deputies have offices and official accomodation in Dodoma where they have also been staying during Parliamentary sessions.

Other senior government officials such as departmental directors, do not have offices.

“The construction of new government offices and accomodation is going to start soon at the Ihumwa area near the Chamwino State House,” he added.

Officials of ministries that are scheduled to shift to Dodoma would use the office space of institutions that are under those minsitries. For example, the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament, Labour, Youth, Employment and the Disabled) could use offices spaces available in the National Social Security Fund building in Dodoma till the consruction of its offices is complete.

He said the regional commission was now building an eight storey office building after the former offices were burnt down some years ago. But some ministries could be accomodated in the new building upon its completion. “The construction of the RC office building has already reached 80 per cent. The Regional Commissioner’s office would occupy one storey and the rest can be left for some other ministries till the construction of Ihumwa offices is completed,” Mr Rugimabana said.

But the Tanzania Building Agency has also been given the duty of auditing the use and availability of office spaces in all exhisting governement buildings in Dodoma.

The Capital Development Authority has been given the duty of finding accomodation for senior government officials. The authority has also been tasked with reviewing the master plan to make it more practical.

The government has also embarked on the expansion of the existing Dodoma airport to make it more accessible by air to foreign dignitaries and businessmen who want to invest in the region.

Upon completion the airport, which is located at the centre of Dodoma town will be able to accomodate airplanes with a 90 passenger capacity.

Mr Rugimbana said the expansion of the airport is a temporary measure pending the construction of the new international airport in Msalato area outside Dodoma town.

The Dodoma Municipal Council says it is well prepared to welcome the government to Dodoma.

But to further prepare the town, the governemtn should go ahead and give Dodoma city status, the mayor of Dodoma, Mr Jaffari Mwanyemba, says.

He says that Dodoma has already fulfilled the population threshold of 250,000 for city status.

“We are more than ready. In fact we have always been waiting for the final shift to Dodoma. But our appal appeal is that the governemtn should go ahead and accord Dodoma city status. We now have more than 600,000 residents, far beyond the 250,000 requirement for a town to be declared a city,” Mr Mwanyemba, who is ward councillor for Viwandani, says.

Tanzania has five cities; Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Tanga, Arusha and Mwanza.

He says in addition to making Dodoma a city, the governmetn should also return sources of revenue, especially buildings that were given to CDA and other government agencies.

We always surpass our revenue collection targets. In the 2015/16 fiscal year, we collected Sh7.5 billion, being 105 per cent of the target.

If you include CDA sources, the amount reaches Sh14 billion.

Dodoma was first established as a colonial settlement under German rule in 1890. The railway

line reached the town in 1910 and in 1912 it became an administrative district. Under British

trusteeship, the town expanded north and south of the railway line in a grid fashion, reaching a

population of 45,000 by 1975. As early as 1915, moving the Tanzanian capital from the coast to an interior location where it would better service the needs of the country was contemplated, writes Aloysius Mosha in his paper “The planning of the new capital of Tanzania:Dodoma, an unfulfilled dream.” It was not until independence in 1961, when a new spirit of identity and symbolism was sought, that moving the capital was seriously considered, he further says.

“The relocation started with an announcement by President Julius Nyerere in October 1973. The then ruling party, Tanu, unanimously decided to transfer the capital from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma. This was a historic decision; Tanzanians had decided to build their own capital city, a city that would reflect their own political aspirations. Dar esSalaam was chosen by the colonial powers to facilitate commerce,” Mr Mosha writes.