MUHAS expansion gains speed with Sh120 billion HEET funding

“This is the largest investment the university has ever received since its establishment as a medical school in 1963,” he said.

He said $30.5 million has been allocated to advance works at Mloganzila and the new Kigoma Campus. “Through the HEET Project, the university has received a total of $45.5 million, which is a concessional loan from the World Bank to the Government of Tanzania,” he explained.

Construction of the new College of Medicine at Mloganzila, which began in December 2024, has now reached 50 per cent completion.

The works include major teaching and student facilities such as lecture theatres accommodating 1,400 students, an administration building with 450 offices, 21 teaching laboratories, an anatomy building for 300 users at a time, a 320-bed student hostel, and a dining hall serving 550 users simultaneously.

The project also comprises a new library and ICT centre, upgraded internal roads, and a football pitch.

“Construction work is progressing rapidly and to satisfactory standards,” Prof Kamuhabwa noted, adding that completion is expected in June 2026.

At Kigoma, where development has reached 35 per cent completion, the campus will host academic and administrative buildings, six laboratories, an anatomy block, and a 110-capacity student hostel.

Prof Kamuhabwa said the location is strategically positioned to serve the western zone.

“This funding will support the establishment of a new health campus in the western zone, a region with geographical challenges and vulnerability to epidemic diseases,” he noted.

Prof Kamuhabwa said the expansion will significantly increase student intake and ease current infrastructure limitations.

“For every 31 applicants, we can only enrol one student due to limited infrastructure,” he explained, citing last year’s figures where 31,026 qualified applicants competed for just 986 available places across MUHAS undergraduate programmes.

He further emphasised that curriculum reforms, enhanced research capacity, and job creation are key benefits already emerging from the project.

“A total of 83 academic programmes have undergone major review and 23 new programmes have been introduced,” he said, noting that more than 300 jobs have already been created during construction and implementation.

The university also expects the modernised learning environment to attract international students and strengthen MUHAS’s position as a leading regional training centre. “Improved learning facilities will increase international student enrolment and enhance MUHAS’s status,” he said.

Prof Kamuhabwa expressed appreciation to the Government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan for prioritising investment in health and higher education.

“We sincerely thank the Sixth Phase Government for continuing to make major investments in improving higher education infrastructure, especially at MUHAS,” he remarked. He stressed that the project aligns with broader national development goals.

“The construction of the College of Medicine at the Mloganzila Campus is part of the Government’s commitment to ensuring higher education drives economic, social and technological development,” he said.

Prof Kamuhabwa concluded by reaffirming the transformative impact of the ongoing project:

“We believe that completion of this College will significantly increase both the number and quality of health professionals in the country, and ultimately improve healthcare services for all Tanzanians.”

For his part, the HEET Coordinator and Deputy Vice Chancellor for Planning, Finance, and Administration at MUHAS, Prof Erasto Mbugi, said the project is progressing at an impressive pace.

“The construction is moving very quickly and according to plan,” he said.

“When this project is finished, it will revolutionise health training and play a critical role in closing the existing gap in healthcare expertise,” Professor Mbugi added.

Meanwhile, Mloganzila street chairman, Ahmad Ladack described the project as a blessing for the local community, highlighting the opportunities it has already created for young residents.

“This project has been a true blessing for our ward because many of our youth are already employed on the construction site,” he said. “By the time the project is completed, it will have benefited our local people considerably,” he added.

He revealed that the construction has already increased demand for local services and materials, and this will continue, bringing long-term advantages to the residents.