The Prime Minister’s residential house and private office take shape at Mlimwa area in Dodoma. PHOTO|ANtONY SIAME
What you need to know:
A minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ms Jenista, Mhagama says the government is keeping a close eye on the construction works.
Dodoma. Construction of a fence around the official residence and office of the Prime Minister here has been completed as the government’s relocation to Dodoma gathers momentum.
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled), Ms Jenista Mhagama, toured the area yesterday ahead of the official relocation by the prime minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa from Dar es Salaam in th middle of this month.
Initially, Mr Majaliwa was scheduled to relocate to the designated capital on September 1, 2016 but the Dodoma Regional Commissioner, Mr Jordan Rugimbana, said earlier this week that he would move to Dodoma after completion of a two-week Bunge session which starts on Tuesday next week.
Speaking when she toured the area where the construction process is underway yesterday, Ms Mhagama said the government is keeping a close eye on the construction of the remaining structures.
The goal, she said, was to ensure that the government relocates to the designated capital within the scheduled timeframe.
So far, the builders have partitioned various offices for several technocrats and aides within the Prime Minister’s Office. They have also completed setting the electricity and water infrastructure.
“We are now working on the construction of a road that will connect this place to the rest of Dodoma,” she said, exuding confidence that the entire government would relocate to Dodoma within the remaining four years of President John Magufuli’s presidency.
She allayed fears that the relocation - which does not appear anywhere within the ruling party’s 2015 election manifesto nor is it mentioned in the nation’s second Five Year – will have any impact on the implementation of development projects.
“The relocation to Dodoma has been there for decades and the past administrations had done a commendable job of laying down much of the required groundwork; much of the required infrastructure is already in place; we want Tanzanians to continue supporting us in this endeavour. The government is currently drafting a bill that will facilitate the relocation process and once it is ready, it will be presented to Parliament for approval,” she said.
