Tanzania: Uhuru Torch Must Unearth Rot in Projects
Once again Tanzania flagged off 2022 Uhuru Torch race yesterday at Saba Saba grounds in Njombe Municipality, Njombe region with Vice-President Dr Philip Mpango laying special emphasis on the need to critically examine all projects implemented in all district councils in the country.
Uhuru Torch, according to Vice-President Mpango, will be raced in 195 district councils across the country where projects implemented will be inspected before being inaugurated for public use.
It will be raced in all 31-Mainland and Isles regions with its climax celebrations scheduled for October 14 in Kagera region.
According to the government, Uhuru Torch race in the past ten years has enabled the launching of development projects worth 9.17trn/.
The government says in the last ten years, with an exception of 2020 where the race was canceled as precautionary measures against the spread of the deadly Covid-19, tremendous success have been recorded and the projects launched are progressing well.
A total of 11,700 development projects which met the required standards were approved in the past ten years and the public is enjoying the services and improved welfare.
In the past ten years, officials and authorities who managed projects which were substandard or had corruption indicators were held accountable.
Tanzania has been implementing various projects in all district councils with huge chunks of taxpayers’ money spent. However, some district councils have been implementing some of these projects below standards.
It is very fortunate that the government through Uhuru Torch race has been noticing the anomalies in some projects implemented with punitive measures instituted against the culprits.
We expect this year’s Uhuru Torch race will step up scrutiny in all projects. Fortunately, Vice-President Dr Mpango has emphatically given runners the mandate to say ‘the truth and only truth’ on all projects.
As a matter fact, it irritates a lot when some officials swindle taxpayers’ cash through implementation of substandard projects, knowing that the cost of the malpractice is enormous to the public.
This year’s Uhuru Torch race is also aimed reminding Tanzanians on the need to actively participate in the planned 2022 National Population and Housing Census.
According to the Census carried out in 2002, Tanzania had 41million people but now the projections are set at 62million people.
Uhuru Torch race is in line with upholding the late President Julius Nyerere philosophy of promoting economic growth, bringing development and unity.
By Daily News.
