Logistical nightmare as govt 'rushes' to Dodoma

OP public officials appear to have been caught by surprise by prime minister Kassim Majaliwa’s announcement that he intends to move all key government functions permanently to Dodoma within the next two months, 

We are not playing politics ... we will pass legislation in parliament in September to formalise the move,' says prime minister Kassim Majaliwa

 triggering a big scramble as ministries rush to beat the 'impromptu' deadline he has set.

Several officials close to the government told The Guardian that some ministries had been "caught completely off-guard" by the PM's public declaration that he plans to have settled in the nation's designated capital city by September.

"The announcement has caused pandemonium in some ministries…we all knew that the government would eventually shift to Dodoma, but the problem is that this is such short notice," said one official who asked not to be named.

"Where is the infrastructure in Dodoma to accommodate thousands of employees of government ministries and their families? It's a logistical nightmare for us," the official added.

Apart from a shortage of office and residential accommodation, Dodoma is also lacking in modern international schools, shopping malls and other facilities, according to officials.

Reports say the permanent secretaries of many government ministries are now at pains to coordinate the transfer of both functions and employees in their own ministries from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.

About 19 government ministries are now required to take their cue from the PM and also relocate to Dodoma by September this year.

This means that potentially thousands of civil servants and their families will now be abruptly uprooted from Dar es Salaam to begin new lives over 500 kilometres away in Dodoma.

Majaliwa reiterated yesterday that the government means business in the move to Dodoma and would submit a bill for approval in the next National Assembly session to formalise the decision.

"We are not playing politics here...we will pass legislation in parliament in September to make the move to Dodoma official,” the premier asserted during a working meeting with various stakeholders from both the public and private sectors in Dodoma to further discuss the nitty-gritty details of how the move is to be implemented.

He gave officials 14 days to prepare a detailed plan for the government transfer to Dodoma, which should also outline infrastructure shortfalls and funding gaps.

“We are now at the implementation stage...there is no option but to see this thing through," he said.

Majaliwa also ordered the state-run Capital Development Authority (CDA) to ensure new development projects in Dodoma do not deviate from the municipality's master plan.

A previous estimate by CDA said Dodoma would require at least 1.3 trillion/- to get the necessary infrastructure in place to transform it into a bona fide capital city.

CDA director general Paskasi Muragili told The Guardian yesterday that the city was "ready to receive and accommodate" the government.

“Everything is intact and we are prepared to be a fully fledged capital city. I am glad that finally our plans will now be put into action," Muragili said.

"Since the establishment of CDA, our plans have always been derailed by lack of commitment in the past,” he added.

According to Muragili, the housing shortage problem can be tackled within a very short time.

He noted that other important basic social services such as water and electricity are now readily available in Dodoma, unlike in the past.

Meanwhile, as other government departments appeared to still be struggling with the logistical and financial obstacles involved in shifting to Dodoma before the September deadline, one minister has declared that he will be moving to the capital next week.

Speaking to journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Charles Tizeba, said his ministry was all set for the move and “will finalise all the necessary preparations this week.”

Real estate agents in Dodoma are already reporting a big land rush as speculators scramble to buy property after President John Magufuli’s announcement that his government, including his own office, will be shifting to Dodoma before the end of his first term in office in 2020.

"People are arriving here in busloads from Dar es Salaam looking for plots and farms to buy. Prices of real estate property have skyrocketed in just the two days since the announcement," said one real estate agent in Dodoma.

DONT HESITATE TO JOIN OUR FACEBOOK PAGE BELOW FOR MORE BREAKING AND HOT RESEARCHED NEWS