Innovation Africa commends ‘Maji App’

Dar es Salaam. Government move to launch an application for monitoring water projects in the country in a bid to improve execution efficiency has been commended by stakeholders.
Speaking during the climax of International Water Day 2022 graced by President Samia Suluhu Hassan mid-week, Water ministry’s permanent secretary Antony Sanga unveiled the Maji App.
Mr Sanga said local experts created the application that will be used to collect data on all water projects being implemented in the country and citizens would be able to follow up through their smart phones.
Speaking to The Citizen, Innovation Africa Tanzania project manager Lerian Moshi said the unveiled application would help to address the challenge of inefficiency of water projects.
“For the projects implemented by Innovation Africa, our Information Communication Technology (ICT) monitoring unit can establish the status of their implementation and if they reflect value for money,” she said.
“Through the Israel technology, we can know the time a pump has been switched on and if there is a problem anywhere, enabling us to make a follow up,” Ms Moshi added.
She said technological advancement should go in line with education provision to citizens on the importance of conserving water sources and implemented water projects for sustainable access of water in the country.
“Since 2018, one water project in a village costs about $55,000 (Sh126 million) during implementation. We have managed to implement at least 50 projects as project implementation continues.
According to her, in the past they faced the challenge in overseeing water sources and implemented water projects, revealing the organisation’s intention to bring solar, water and agricultural technologies to rural communities across the continent.
She said so far her organisation has in total implemented 680 water and solar projects, bringing relief to schools and health centres in different parts of the country.
“We have managed to provide clean and safe water to over 3.4 million people in 10 African countries, including Tanzania. In the country we undertake solar and water projects in Dodoma and Coast regions,” said Ms Moshi.
She said it was highlycommendable that the issue of monitoring water projects has been emphasized by the sixth phase government under President Hassan
Ms Moshi said this was an important move in realising the value for money for projects undertaken through taxpayer’s money in the crucial water sector in the country.