With an annual direct budget allocation of over Sh200 billion from the central government alone, local government authorities offer massive financial muscle for the parties to push through their local development agendas.
Dar es Salaam. As the dust settles on the General Election, political parties have turned their focus on the control of key city and urban authorities—the seats of power at the grassroots level across the country.
With an annual direct budget allocation of over Sh200 billion from the central government alone, local government authorities offer massive financial muscle for the parties to push through their local development agendas.
The authorities in charge of the day-to-day life of millions of citizens, many of them trapped in a cycle of poverty, could help turn around the sorry state of governance if the parties clamped down on corruption and channelled a huge chunk of the funds to worthwhile projects with a quick turnaround for the majority poor.
Other than the direct budget injection, the nearly 300 local authorities share in the government yearly development kitty that in the last two financial years has averaged Sh6 trillion in development money.
The agencies have also own avenues through which an estimated Sh400 billion is collected in local revenues every year, to show for the influence that the authorities hold on the masses of the people they turn to for votes during elections.
It is no wonder therefore that the next battle ground for political supremacy is going to be the election for mayoral seats, urban and rural district councils’ chairmen and their deputies.
While the ruling party CCM maintained its supremacy in control of many of the councils, it has lost control of major local authorities to the opposition in Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Arusha, Iringa, Mtwara Urban and Moshi. It regained control in Mwanza while it will have to put up a spirited defence for several areas where the opposition raised the number of councillors substantially.
Yesterday, it emerged that the opposition coalition (Ukawa), was holed up in meetings to lay strategies how to keep a firm grip on leadership of the local authorities, with knowledge that CCM will take the fight to them, even try to buy off some of their supporters to have a say in the areas perceived as new opposition strongholds.
The big prize is in the key cities, including Dar es Salaam that boasts more opposition MPs and Councillors than CCM.
Sources told The Citizen that Ukawa leaders were working on a formula to ensure their civic leaders are not divided in the vote to pick new mayors and council chairmen.
According to Chadema information officer Tumaini Makene, the issue is among the agenda under discussion in the ongoing Chadema Central Committee (CC) meeting in Dar es Salaam.
Mr Makene said that to Chadema and other parties that make up Ukawa, the elections were an issue they were taking very seriously because local authorities were a crucial link with the people.
He said the coalition won’t look at personalities, rather at candidate’s abilities to implement reforms which Ukawa promised wananchi during the campaigns.
“Local governments mean the people…. so we are very serious and will only nominate candidates on the basis of their ability to implement reforms rather than their own personalities,” said Mr Makene.
In Dar es Salaam where Ukawa is likely to lead the City Council, Kinondoni and Ilala municipalities while CCM has a head start in Temeke, some names are being thrown around as possible mayoral candidates.
Ubungo Ward councillor-elect Boniface Jacob (Chadema) and Mbagala Kuu Ward councillor-elect Yusuph Manji (CCM) are some of the early names which have been linked with the position.
However, Mr Jacob who has declared his intention to run for Kinondoni mayoral seat, said: “I intend to run for Kinondoni position because I served there as a councillor for a whole five years and know exactly what the people want,” said Mr Jacob.
Dar es Salaam CCM regional chairman Ramadhani Madabida declined to be drawn into the discussion and said the CCM candidates will be known in due course.
Based on the numbers, Dar es Salaam City Council will be led by political parties under Ukawa after the Opposition won in many wards, beating the ruling party by huge margins.
According to election result Chadema and CUF won in 74 wards against CCM which won in 47 wards. This means if ward councillors will vote in accordance to the agreement which formed the opposition coalition Dar es Salaam City mayor and deputy mayor are will come from the opposition alliance.
City mayor and his/her deputy are elected by councillors from all wards across the city.
This year’s election for the civic seats saw the opposition parties ousting CCM dominance in the city. In the 2010 civic election CCM won in 111 wards compared to the opposition, who emerged victorious in 14 wards.
CCM dominance was also brough to an end in Kinondoni and Ilala municipal councils as mayors and deputy mayors for the municipals are likely to come from the opposition if their alliance wouldn’t collapse as it did in at least two constituencies, namely Mwanga in Kilimanjaro Region and Segerea in Dar es Salaam .
However, CCM retained its dominance in Temeke after it won in many wards compared to the Opposition, something which means that Temeke municipal council will continue to be under the ruling party.
In Kinondoni, which has three constituencies—Ubungo, Kinondoni and Kawe, Chadema won 18 wards, CUF won four wards while the ruling party won 12 wards. In Ilala, which has three constituencies—Ilala, Segerea and Ukonga, Chadema won in 17 wards, CUF in seven wards while the ruling party won in 12 wards.
In Temeke, which has three constituencies—Temeke, Mbagala and Kigamboni—CCM won in 19 wards, CUF in seven while Chadema won in five wards.
The number of councillors from the opposition alliance is likely to increase as parties which form Ukawa will get more special seats councillors than CCM due to their performance in the civic election.
