One year on, investments expand access to essential services in Zanzibar

ZANZIBAR: FROM a modern water system in Kizimkazi to investments in healthcare, education and household water connections, development projects supported by the Union Government, Zanzibar and international partners are seeking to improve everyday life, particularly in South Unguja.

For many years, access to reliable water supply has been one of the practical challenges facing households in parts of Zanzibar, where women and children have often carried the burden of fetching water while communities struggled to keep pace with population growth and expanding economic activity.

In Kizimkazi, South Unguja, efforts to address the challenge has entered a new phase following the commissioning of a major water project by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in August 2026.

The investment represents one of the clearest examples of how cooperation between the Union Government and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar is translating into infrastructure intended to improve daily life.

As President Samia marks the first anniversary of her second term, developments in water supply, healthcare, education and other essential services provide a basis for assessing the impact of public investment on communities in the Isles.

The emerging picture is one of major infrastructure projects, partnerships with development institutions and continued efforts to extend services beyond urban centres.

However, the lasting impact will depend on whether the facilities reach households, remain operational and respond to the needs of communities.

Kizimkazi’s water transformation

According to the Zanzibar Water Authority (ZAWA) the new water source can produce up to 2.4 million litres daily, supported by a storage tank with a capacity of one million litres.

It replaces an ageing 150,000-litre tank constructed in 1974, which had become inadequate for the area’s growing population and economic activity.

The project is being implemented through cooperation between the Union Government and the Zanzibar Government, with Water Minister Jumaa Aweso and Zanzibar Minister for Water, Energy and Minerals Nadir Abdul-Latif Al Wardy highlighting its potential to improve supply and support economic development.

South Unguja Regional Commissioner, Hamida Mussa Khamis, said residents had begun experiencing the benefits of the new system.

However, extending the distribution network and connecting more households remain important steps in ensuring that the infrastructure benefits the widest possible population. The project also offers a potential economic dividend.

Reliable water is essential not only for domestic consumption but also for hotels, small businesses, food services and other activities that generate employment in a region increasingly associated with tourism.

For women, improved household access could reduce the time and physical effort spent collecting water, allowing more time for childcare, education and income-generating activities.

Expanding household connections

The wider water programme provides another measure of progress. Several projects have been backed by the union government including 92.18 million US dollars Safe and Clean Water Distribution Project, funded by India’s Export-Import Bank.

The project has been completed. The project covered 55 shehias: 48 in Urban West, two in North Unguja and five in South Unguja. It included 64 boreholes and 15 storage tanks, while the distribution network was being completed and final household connections undertaken.

By March 2026, Zanzibar’s Minister for Water, Energy and Minerals, Nadir Abdullatif AlWardy, explained that the Indiasupported project had enabled approximately 17,726 households to connect directly to clean and safe water.

The connections reduce dependence on alternative sources and the burden of collecting water, particularly for women and children. Additional investment is being mobilised through development partners.

Zanzibar signed a 25 million euros grant agreement with Germany’s development bank, KfW, to expand safe water access across Unguja and Pemba.

The five-year programme includes water and wastewater infrastructure, with particular emphasis on Pemba, where four new water schemes were planned.

The projects complement the Kizimkazi investment, although their funding and implementation timelines differ. Together, they show how public resources, external financing and cooperation between governments are being used to address the water challenge.

ALSO READ: Govt advances 110tri/- LNG investment ambition

Health and education closer to communities

The Kizimkazi development programme extends beyond water. During her August visit, President Samia also inspected healthcare services and laid the foundation stone for a vocational secondary school.

At Kizimkazi Health Centre, the World Health Organisation provided an ambulance to strengthen emergency response and patient referrals. Reports also highlighted the development of specialised services, including dialysis and physiotherapy, intended to improve access to treatment closer to home.

The planned Kizimkazi vocational secondary school adds an educational dimension to the investment. Vocational education can help young people acquire practical skills relevant to employment, entrepreneurship and the region’s expanding tourism economy.

These initiatives are particularly important in rural and semi-urban communities, where distances to public facilities can impose financial and logistical burdens on families.

Although this programme is not limited to South Unguja, it forms part of the wider effort to expand learning space, improve school environments and reduce the need for double shifts.

Roads, women’s empowerment and economic opportunity Water, schools and health facilities deliver greater benefits when they are supported by accessible roads and opportunities for people to earn a living.

During the Kizimkazi Festival in August, President Hussein Ali Mwinyi urged residents to protect and maintain development projects, including water, health and road infrastructure, saying the facilities were important for improving livelihoods and stimulating economic development.

Better roads can facilitate access to hospitals and schools, help farmers and small businesses transport goods, and connect communities to tourism markets.

However, the impact depends on the condition of the roads, their maintenance and whether remote settlements benefit from improved connectivity.

Women’s empowerment is another important measure of whether infrastructure investment improves household welfare. Reducing the time spent fetching water can create opportunities for women to participate in small businesses, farming, education and community activities.

As President Samia celebrates one-year of her second term in office (on November 3), the experience in Zanzibar highlights both the opportunities created by public investment and the work still required to deliver reliable essential services.

The Kizimkazi water project demonstrates the scale of infrastructure being developed through cooperation between the Union and Zanzibar governments.

India-supported household connections, Germanbacked water programmes and investments in education and healthcare show how government initiatives and development partners are contributing to the expansion of services.

The same principle applies to women’s empowerment: Improved infrastructure creates opportunities, but complementary support for skills, finance, markets and enterprise is needed to help women turn the time saved and services gained into sustainable livelihoods.