Ndugai’s drama with Zitto over WB loan to Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. Drama ensued yesterday as Speaker of the National Assembly Job Ndugai criticised Kigoma Urban MP Zitto Kabwe in the House for engineering the World Bank’s withholding of Sh1.15 trillion education loan to Tanzania.

Mr Ndugai said in Dodoma that the lawmaker’s petitioning of the World Bank against releasing the money to Tanzania was an act of betrayal and asked the Attorney General to establish if Zitto’s actions warranted a criminal investigation.

“There are criminal elements in this matter. The Attorney General can proceed with it. As MPs, we will continue expressing our dissatisfaction…” said the Speaker. In response, the Attorney General Prof Adelardus Kilangi said, “We have received this matter and we will work on it.”

Mr Zitto had separately written to the WB, arguing that the government has not demonstrated publicly any good intent on the use of the colossal sum of Sh1.15trillion on advancing the interests of girls and women in Tanzania.

Mr Ndugai said this while concluding a motion made in the National Assembly by Siha MP Dr Godwin Mollel in a televised session.

Mr Mollel had tabled a private motion in Parliament, urging fellow parliamentarians to support him in deciding on the action to be taken against the national chairman of ACT-Wazalendo for prompting the World Bank to stop releasing the money saying Tanzania didn’t deserve the money.

Speaker Ndugai used his constituency as an example to show how the money was important for the country’s education, arguing that there were myriads of challenges that students face.

He said that Zitto’s act was a betrayal because the money would help address many challenges in the education sector.

“The act of writing the letter is a policy difference, but preventing the World Bank from releasing the loan/money is going too far,” said Ndugai.

Contributing to Zitto’s action, Chemba MP Juma Mkamia argued by citing the Americans, who are striving to remove their President, who, they believe, has been betraying the nation.

“There is a need for Parliament to deal with people like Zitto,” Mr Nkamia said.

In his quick rejoinder, via his Twitter account, Mr Zitto, who is currently in England, said there was no difference in policy when it comes to school girls’ education.

“There is no policy difference in terms of girls getting pregnant to continue with their education. The CCM manifesto promised the people in 2015, opposition parties promised it and 2/3 citizens supported it,” he wrote.

He also said that 71 per cent of the population supports pregnant teenage girls to continue with their education. The CCM manifesto also wants them to return to school.