Parliament rejects Mara River report

Dodoma. Dodoma. Members of the Parliament yesterday objected a report on Mara River, claiming it was not professionally sufficient.

Last month, the minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), Dr Selemani Jafo, formed a team to probe the cause of Mara River waters turning blackish as fish reportedly died in the river.

The minister tasked the team, apart from investigating the cause, to give long and short term proposals on what steps should be taken to encounter the situation.

However, after making the report public, it was so criticized that the minister ordered the committee to rewrite it in a simple language.

And yesterday, the team chairman Prof Samwel Manyele presented the findings to the MPs who turned fierce about it.

He said the main source was heavy rains that filled the river with mud which changed water colour and deprive fish of oxygen.

Earlier, Prof Manyele who comes from the faculty of chemistry at the University Dar es Salaam (UDSM), said livestock grazing in wetlands accumulated urine and faeces which spoiled the river waters.

After the presentation, all 18 legislators who commented rejected the findings and others wanted the government to form another team to probe the professionalism of the committee.

Neema Lugangira (Special Seats-CCM) questioned the change of answers by the committee when it presents the findings.

“Initially, we were told that accumulated urine and faeces were the main source and today the team is telling us about heavy rains….which is which now,” she said, raising her concerns over the absence of professional agencies like the National Environment Management Council (Nemc) and the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) in the probe.

“This report should not be published in government websites because it’s completely a shame to the country,” said Musoma Rural MP Prof Sospeter Muhongo who is professionally a geologist.

Tarime Rural MP Mwita Waitara said the report was doctored to distort the findings, asking the president to intervene in the matter.

“I know what is inside the river water because, at some points, I worked in the same ministry. This water was tested and experts revealed that it has effects. Many people were affected and yet this team is coming out with such a rubbish report,” said Mr Waitara.

Prof Manyele said his team also found symptoms of oil, which was later found to be relatively harmless and that further investigation discovered that it was a result of decomposition of living organisms in the wetlands of the Mara River, clarifying that there were no signs on the presence of petroleum.

But Prof Muhongo said scientific evidence does no propose the presence of oil in the river.