Govt signs 1.2tri/- deal to electrify hamlets
DODOMA: THE government, through the Rural Energy Agency (REA), has signed 30 contracts valued at 1.2 tri/- to extend electricity supply to 9,009 villages, with the goal of driving socioeconomic development from the grassroots to the national level.
Under the contracts, 21 have been awarded to local contractors, who are expected to connect electricity to 50,447 hamlets out of a total of 64,359 across 25 regions. The government aims to ensure that by 2030 all hamlets, including the remaining 13,912, are connected to electricity.
Speaking yesterday during the contract signing ceremony in Dodoma, Minister for Energy Deogratius Ndejembi directed REA to closely supervise contractors and ensure that all public institutions, including primary and secondary schools as well as ispensaries in the targeted villages and hamlets, are connected to electricity.
The minister said the government has already made significant investments in rural and village areas, emphasising that the newly built infrastructure must not only be completed but fully utilised through active electricity connections.
“The sixth-phase government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan recognises that the energy sector is a key driver of national and community development. In line with this, the President has continued to allocate significant funds to extend electricity to citizens, thereby improving their livelihoods,”said Ndejembi.
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He urged contractors to ensure that no resident is left behind during electricity connections, including those with partially completed electrical wiring, while final works continue. An initial 260,000 customers are expected to benefit in the first phase.
The minister also called on contractors to comply with required standards and quality, including installing durable infrastructure that will serve both current and future generations.
He also called on contractors to maintain diligence in their work to ensure projects are completed on time, warning that the government will not hesitate to take action, including terminating contracts for those who delay implementation or misuse public resources.
Mr Ndejembi further said that, according to current statistics, rural electricity access has surpassed 78 per cent, while the customer connection rate stands at 37 per cent.
He noted that this represents significant progress compared to five years ago, when only 66 per cent had access, adding that the figure is expected to rise further upon completion of the three-year project period. Outlining the regional distribution of the project across 25 regions, the minister said the regions include Tanga with 527 hamlets valued at 73.7bn/-, Tabora with 660 hamlets worth 109.3bn/-, Songwe with 173 hamlets at 28.7bn/-, Singida with 376 hamlets at 45.7bn/- and Simiyu with 415 hamlets allocated 45.8bn/-.
Other regions include Shinyanga with 581 hamlets at 60.9bn/-, Ruvuma with 634 hamlets at 68.1bn/-, Rukwa with 156 hamlets at 17.8bn/-, Pwani with 330 hamlets at 46.6bn/-, Njombe with 218 hamlets at 21.1bn/-, Mwanza with 619 hamlets at 66.4bn/-, Mtwara with 175 hamlets at 15.3bn/-, Morogoro with 570 hamlets at 70.9bn/- and Mbeya with 316 hamlets at 42.5bn/-.
In addition, Mara will have 371 hamlets connected at a cost of 38.2bn/-, Manyara 267 hamlets at 45.8bn/-, Lindi 159 hamlets at 23.8bn/- , Kilimanjaro 185 hamlets at 33.5bn/-, Kigoma 196 hamlets at 39.7bn/-, Katavi 358 hamlets at 57.3bn/-, Kagera 474 hamlets at 66.5bn/-, Iringa 214 hamlets at 33.3bn/-, Geita 528 hamlets at 61.9bn/- , Dodoma 379 hamlets at 43.9bn/- and Arusha 127 hamlets at 19.5bn/-.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, Engineer Felchesmi Mramba, said that the government, through the ministry, has implemented and continues to implement numerous energy projects over the past five years, including rural electrification programmes.
He noted that to date, 62 per cent of all hamlets nationwide have access to electricity.
