Josephine Christopher is a senior business journalist for The Citizen and Mwananchi newspapers
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Ms Hassan, who launched her re-election bid for the presidency at Tanganyika Parkers Grounds in Dar es Salaam under the ruling CCM, committed on Friday, August 29, 2025, while addressing thousands of supporters, party cadres, and residents of Morogoro Region
Morogoro. The CCM presidential candidate, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has highlighted plans to leverage the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) for regional development and industrial growth as she made the first stop in a series of rallies across the country ahead of the October 29 General Election.
Ms Hassan, who launched her re-election bid for the presidency at Tanganyika Parkers Grounds in Dar es Salaam under the ruling CCM, committed on Friday, August 29, 2025, while addressing thousands of supporters, party cadres, and residents of Morogoro Region.
The Sixth phase president said SGR would not only connect Tanzania’s regions to major markets but also boost local industry and agricultural trade.
“There is a plan to establish a storage facility at the SGR station, so that our farmers and traders can store and transport their produce more efficiently to urban markets, reducing post-harvest losses and expanding business opportunities,” she said. Beyond transport, Ms Hassan also highlighted achievements in healthcare and education since taking office in 2020.
She said the number of health centres has increased from five to 15, while dispensaries rose from 60 to 67, expanding access to medical services in rural areas.
In the education sector, seven new primary schools and 120 classrooms, along with seven new secondary schools and 175 classrooms, have been constructed to improve learning opportunities for children across the region.
On water access, she noted that availability in the district has risen from 51 percent to 57 percent, but acknowledged that more work is needed. “It is going to be our focus over the next five years to eliminate water shortages while tackling environmental challenges such as deforestation for charcoal production,” she said.
At the rally, CCM parliamentary candidate for Morogoro South East, Mr Hamisi Taletale alias Babu Tale, urged the government to ensure that infrastructure projects linked to the railway benefit local communities.
He highlighted two key priorities, including upgrading the Bigwa–Kisaka road to an all-weather tarmac surface to ensure smooth access to the SGR stations.
Mr Taletale also spoke on maximising benefits from the Kidunda Dam, originally constructed to supply water to Dar es Salaam, so that surrounding communities also gain from water access and irrigation opportunities.
