Unpaid Kilombero residents asked to claim their dues before June
MOROGORO: MALINYI District Commissioner, Advocate Sebastian Waryuba, has urged the residents who voluntarily relocated from Ngombo Village as part of the Kilombero Game Reserve, to come forward and complete the verification process in order to receive their compensation before June 2025.
Speaking to journalists in the district. Waryuba confirmed that the government had allocated over 6.9 billion Tanzanian shillings for compensating these residents.
He also emphasized that the compensation process had progressed well, with a total of 998 households having been paid out of the 1,056 eligible households. However, 58 households remain unpaid. In addition, compensation for 104 of the 133 graveyard beneficiaries has been completed, and a total of 97.66% of the funds have been disbursed.
He addressed the challenge they face as an authority is that those who are yet to be compensated cannot be reached by phone or post, and their whereabouts are unclear.
“I urge my people from Ngombo who are entitled to compensation and have not yet been located, to come to Biro Village where they will meet the Village Executive Officer, who will collect their details for verification and facilitate the payment process. The compensation funds for both housing and graves are available. President Samia has authorized the release of these funds, and they are ready for collection,” said Waryuba.
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Additionally, the District Commissioner called on the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) to continue its efforts to clean up areas of the Kilombero Game Reserve, particularly in the regions where the residents previously lived, in order to restore the reserve to its natural state.
This includes removing abandoned structures and settlements left within the reserve. On the other hand, TAWA’s Public Relations Officer, Beatus Maganja, expressed gratitude to the residents who voluntarily moved to allow for conservation activities, describing their decision as patriotic and a model to be emulated.
Residents who have already relocated to nearby villages from Ngombo have expressed their appreciation to the government for compensating them, which has enabled them to start new lives. They also encouraged their 58 fellow villagers who have yet to claim their compensation to come forward and receive their entitlements.
“We have moved from Ngombo to a neighboring village, and I have received my compensation. The relocation process went smoothly, and I encourage those of my former neighbors who have not yet collected their payments to visit the Village Executive Officer’s office in Biro to claim their funds. There is no need to worry,” said Maganga Mkumba, a former resident of Ngombo now settled in Biro Village.
