Dodoma RC: Rural electrification to curb youth migration

DODOMA: DODOMA Regional Commissioner, Ms Rosemary Senyamule has said the implementation of the national project to supply electricity to 9,009 hamlets will help address the challenge of youth migration from rural areas to urban centres in search of economic opportunities.

Speaking over the weekend during the signing of 30 contracts worth 1.2tri/- for the implementation of the Electricity Supply to 9,009 Hamlets Project, Ms Senyamule said extending electricity to rural areas will stimulate economic activities and encourage young people to invest and work within their communities.

“We will ensure that communities receiving electricity use it for productive economic activities. We believe this will motivate wananchi, particularly young people, to engage in income-generating ventures in rural areas,” she said.

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Commenting on the status of electricity supply in Dodoma Region, Ms Senyamule said all 209 wards and 564 villages have already been connected to the national grid. She added that the region has 3,214 hamlets under what she described as the ‘TANESCO category’, of which 1,770 have been connected to electricity, while 1,444 are yet to receive the service.

“The demand for electricity among wananchi is very high, and many people are eager to know whether their hamlets are included in the project. We are optimistic that those yet to be connected will also benefit,” she said.

Of the 30 contracts signed, 21 were awarded to local companies, while nine went to foreign firms registered in the country. Given its total cost and the number of hamlets to be reached, the project is the largest rural electrification initiative ever undertaken in the country and will be implemented over a period of three years.

According to government data, in 2021, out of 64,359 hamlets in Tanzania Mainland, only 28,258 had access to electricity, while 36,101 lacked the service.

However, through the implementation of various electrification projects between 2021 and December 2025, the government has connected electricity to 10,745 hamlets, raising the total number of electrified hamlets to 39,003.

A further 2,435 hamlets are currently under implementation, bringing the total number of hamlets either connected to electricity or covered by ongoing projects to 41,438.