Shemdoe orders two-week cleanliness drive in Tanzania cities
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office-Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), Prof Riziki Shemdoe, addresses regional and local government leaders during a meeting held on Monday, September 7, 2026, in Dodoma, where he ordered a two-week cleanliness drive across major cities and municipalities. PHOTO| ALFRED ZAKARIA
Alfred Zacharia is a business reporter for The Citizen and Mwananchi newspapers.
Mwananchi Communications Limitted
Dodoma. City and municipal authorities have been given two weeks to improve environmental cleanliness as the government steps up efforts to address waste management and other urban challenges.
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office– Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), Prof Riziki Shemdoe, issued the directive on Monday, September 7, 2026.
He said the special two-week campaign should focus on improving cleanliness and addressing environmental problems affecting residents.
The directive follows President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s call issued on September 2, 2026, for improved cleanliness in cities.
Prof Shemdoe issued the directive during a meeting with regional and local government leaders from Dodoma, Mwanza, Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Arusha, and Tanga.
He also directed all local authorities to prepare plans for collecting and processing solid and sludge waste, stressing that the plans must be submitted to his office.
The move puts waste management at the centre of the clean-up campaign.
It also requires councils to show how they will manage waste beyond the two-week exercise.
Noise pollution
Prof Shemdoe also ordered authorities to take action against noise pollution.
He directed councils to work with the National Environment Management Council (Nemc) and the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (Brela) to address noise from entertainment venues.
He cited Kinondoni Municipality as an area facing a significant challenge.
Regional authorities were also directed to work with the Ministry of Home Affairs and regional police commanders to address excessive noise from vehicles and motorcycles.
The focus will include vehicles fitted with modified exhaust systems.
Public spaces
The minister also ordered a review of public open spaces that were allocated by the government but have since been occupied by permanent structures.
Regional authorities will conduct the review in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands.
Prof Shemdoe said his office would follow up on implementation.
Kinondoni Municipality was also directed to develop a strategy to stop street vending in informal areas.
“The municipality must identify formal trading areas where petty traders can operate,” he directed.
Prof Shemdoe said environmental cleanliness should become a permanent responsibility rather than an occasional campaign.
He directed authorities to make cleanliness a standing agenda item in meetings at village, ward, council, district, and regional levels.
He also directed the PMO-RALG Permanent Secretary to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) for environmental cleanliness.
The indicators will be used to measure and compare the performance of councils, municipalities, and cities.
The approach is intended to make local authorities more accountable for results.
Prof Shemdoe directed the leaders to submit implementation reports after two weeks.
The immediate test will be whether the campaign produces visible improvements and whether those improvements can be sustained after the deadline.
