CCM envisions five-star Arusha

ARUSHA: CCM presidential candidate Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday pledged to make Arusha a world-class tourism hub through new airports, modern conference facilities and the construction of an AFCON City.

Speaking during a campaign rally yesterday at Sheikh Amri Abeid Kaluta Stadium, Dr Samia said 17bn/- had already been invested to modernise Arusha Airport, which will begin 24-hour operations by December 2025 once modern night-lighting systems are installed.

She added that 88.5bn/- was being spent on Lake Manyara Airport situated within Karatu District, in cluding a 1,500-metre runway, passenger terminal and parking area for 67 vehicles.

“If re-elected, as part of enhancing tourism, in this region we will build a new international conference centre in Arusha. This facility will be crucial for hosting international summits and exhibitions, creating more business opportunities and cementing Arusha’s reputation as a global safari capital,” she said.

Dr Samia further said the CCM government would also construct an AFCON City alongside the 32,000 seat-stadium project, describing it as a key step in boosting sports tourism.

She said the initiative was part of broader efforts to raise tourist numbers to eight million annually by 2030.

“We must also scale up the number of four- and five-star hotels so that international visitors find facilities of the highest standards,” she said.

The candidate added that tourism projects in the pipeline included a Ngorongoro Lengai Geopark and a tourism information centre in Arusha.

Work was also continuing to strengthen Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), which has already acquired eight new aircraft with eight more expected.

On industry, Dr Samia pledged to revive factories that had collapsed or stalled. She announced that the long-delayed soda ash plant would be built in Arusha, saying all preparations were complete.

“This factory will be delivered, and it will bring new opportunities to the people of Arusha,” she said.

She also said four Kiliflora flower farms, where investors had failed to continue operations, would be repossessed by the government and incorporated into the Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) programme.

“We want these farms to generate employment and opportunities for our youths,” she said.

Across the country, she added, idle factories would either be revived through new investors or transferred to cooperatives.

“We have built strong cooperatives that can manage factories and generate jobs for our young people,” she said.

The mining sector, she added, had recorded strong progress, with its contribution to GDP rising from 6.8 per cent in 2020 to 10.1 per cent last year.

She said the government has established a central Tanzanite trading centre in Mirerani and introduced gem auctions to benefit small-scale miners.

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“Our priority is to empower artisanal miners, so they too, enjoy the wealth of this land,” she said.

Dr Samia said, if re-elected, the CCM government would complete the Monduli– Selela–Engaruka and Engaruka–Ngaresero roads, where feasibility studies and designs were already complete.

She pledged to modernise one-stop centres with advanced machines to speed up service delivery at Namanga Border Post.

She also outlined achievements in health, citing the provision of MRI and cancer diagnostic services in Arusha hospitals and collaboration with KCMC in Kilimanjaro to provide radiotherapy.

“Patients from Arusha no longer need to travel to Dar es Salaam for cancer treatment,” she said.

She said maternal and child health had improved significantly, with modern facilities and equipment reducing deaths.

The CCM government, she said, would continue to expand hospitals and ensure essential medicines are available.

Dr Samia said 267m/- had been spent on new schools and colleges, while under the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project a new College of Business Education (CBE) campus would be built in Arusha.

She said students with special needs were also being prioritised through improved learning tools and hostels.

Dr Samia further pledged to build a new modern bus terminal and a large market for petty traders, in addition to the ongoing construction of the Kilombero and Mbaunda markets.

“We will continue to expand infrastructure that supports traders and improves the city’s economy,” she said.

Arusha Urban parliamentary candidate Paul Makonda told the rally that projects worth 64bn/- had already been delivered in the constituency during Dr Samia’s four years in office.

He asked for more support on roads and industries, especially the revival of the General Tyre factory.

“If there is anywhere you will get the most votes, it is in this constituency,” he said. He also pointed to the expansion of Arusha Airport, saying it was now handling direct flights to Nairobi for the first time.

“This is a new opportunity for business and tourism, reducing costs and time for international visitors,” he said.

Meanwhile, during her stop in Arumeru District on Wednesday, Dr Samia pledged that the CCM government will continue subsidising fertiliser and other farm inputs to boost food security.

She said that Tanzania’s food reserves now stand at four months and said the next phase will emphasise modern farming technologies and stronger cooperatives.