No Isles village will be left out in power connection
ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR’S Deputy Minister for Water, Energy and Minerals, Ms. Zawadi Amour Hassan, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that every corner of Zanzibar is connected to electricity, ensuring no community is left behind in accessing energy.
She made the statement in response to a supplementary question from Mtambwe constituency representative, Dr Mohammed Ali Suleiman, who inquired about the timeline for connecting the villages of Mavuika, Kinyuji, Mtangamle and Jirambe in Pemba to the electricity grid.
The Deputy Minister stated that the process of connecting the villages to the electricity grid has already commenced, starting with the installation of poles in the Chekea area.
The representative noted that residents of these villages are eagerly awaiting the power connection, as the lack of electricity has disrupted some essential services and hindered opportunities for income-generating activities.
“Power connection in Mtambwe constituency has been progressing well.
This includes upgrading the voltage supply in the neighbouring village of Kidundo and continuing the planned work to extend electricity to the villages of Mavuika, Kinyuji, Mtangamle and Jirambe,” said the Deputy Minister.
She assured that the work will be completed during the 2024/2025 fiscal year, noting that several villages were already connected to electricity in the previous fiscal year, 2022/2023, including eight in Unguja North ‘A’ District; nine in Unguja North ‘B’; six in Unguja Central District; ten in Pemba South; eight in Pemba North; five in Micheweni; seven in Wete; and two in Chake Chake.
“The eighth-phase government under President Hussein Mwinyi is fully committed to transforming Zanzibar’s development, which includes providing access to better roads, healthcare, education and reliable energy supply, among other improvements,” she stated.
The Deputy Minister added that, to facilitate access to electricity, the government has directed the ministry to lower connection fees, making it more affordable for ordinary citizens to connect their homes to the power grid.
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Ms. Zawadi also informed the House that over 70,000 people are expected to benefit from the World Bank-funded Zanzibar Energy Sector Transformation and Access (ZESTA) Project, which aims at expanding access to reliable and efficient electricity services and scale up renewable energy generation in Zanzibar.
