Two officials are accused of embezzling over Sh700 million meant for building a dining hall at Lugalo Girls' Secondary School in Iringa. Photo: Courtesy.
By Adonis Byemelwa
In a bold move, Prime Minister Kassim
Majaliwa took decisive action against corruption, ordering the immediate
suspension of Kilolo District Council Engineer Emanuel Sigachuma and Secondary
Education Officer Nelson Milanzi.
The two officials stand accused of
embezzling over Sh700 million intended for the construction of a dining hall at
a new girls' secondary school in Lugalo, Iringa Region. The announcement, made
on July 8th, 2024, marks a significant crackdown on misappropriation of public
funds.
These funds are part of the over three
billion shillings allocated by the government under President Samia Suluhu
Hassan's initiative to build one secondary school for girls in each region.
Providing an update on the construction of the
school in Mbigili ward, Kilolo District, which began admitting Form Five
students this year, a council engineer reported that the dining hall's
construction, now over 40 percent complete, has cost over 300 million
shillings.
When questioned about the whereabouts
of the remaining funds to complete the dining hall, the engineer remained
silent, appearing to have no answers.
Instructing the government attorney to
ensure the two individuals are brought to court, the Prime Minister directed
the Iringa Regional Administrative Secretary to locate and return the former
director of the council, Kamendu, to Iringa to join the case.
The Prime Minister questioned why the
council paid the contractor all their funds despite the administrative
building's incomplete construction, and demanded the immediate removal of all
substandard desks from the school. "Bring a truck right now to remove
these desks; I don't want to see them here," he said.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, on
July 7, 2024, continued his transformative tour of the Iringa region, marking a
significant milestone by laying the foundation stone for Iramba Girls Secondary
School in Iramba village, Itandula ward, Mufindi District Council. This pivotal
event underscored the government's commitment to enhancing educational
infrastructure and empowering young women in the region. The ceremony not only
celebrated the beginning of a new educational institution but also symbolized
hope and progress for the community.
After inspecting the school, Premier
Majaliwa urged the council to identify additional funding sources to support
various development projects. "I commend the councilors for allocating
funds and initiating this school project," he said.
"One of the shortcomings of some
councils is failing to utilize local funds for visible projects. The
construction of this school serves as a model for all councils; increase the
pace to complete this project on time."
Majaliwa directed the council to
ensure that the allocated funds for the school's construction are fully
utilized to match the infrastructure planned.
The Prime Minister ordered a review of
the construction costs of teachers' houses through the council's education
committee. "Review the funds allocated for teachers' houses; one hundred
million shillings is excessive for one house," he stated. He also
instructed the removal and return of all desks without proper storage space for
student registers.
The construction of the school is
expected to cost approximately 1.78 billion shillings upon completion, covering
the administrative building (1), classrooms (8), offices (4), laboratory (1),
ICT room (1), teachers' houses (5), dining hall (1), and dormitories (4). So
far, 363.8 million shillings have been received, with 2.2 million shillings
from community contributions and 361.6 million shillings from the district
council.
Currently, the school has a total of 8
classrooms, 4 offices, and a dormitory capable of accommodating 80 students,
which is in the process of being tiled.
On February 28th, 2024, Prime Minister
of the United Republic of Tanzania, Kassim Majaliwa Majaliwa (MP), directed the
Regional Police Commander of Mara, ACP Salum Morcase, to arrest the Chief of
Finance and Accounting at Serengeti District Council and a prominent Serengeti
businessman involved in the embezzlement of over 213 million Tanzanian
Shillings of government funds.
Speaking at the meeting, the Premier
identified the perpetrators as Mr. Saad Katunzi Ishabailu, the Treasurer of
Serengeti District Council, and Mr. Daudi Matinde, a businessman from Mugumu
town. Following questioning by the Prime Minister's office team, they admitted
their involvement in the theft.
"The Director of the Council, the
Councilors, and officials from the Ministry of Local Government were unaware of
this theft because it was carried out through a network involving third-party
employees from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) unit," said Majaliwa.
He explained that on June 10th, 2023,
they exploited a loophole by seeking approval for surplus funds through a
letter signed by the Acting Director of the Council to the Treasury. By June
30th, 2023, they had already expended the requested funds.
"After successfully obtaining the
funds, Ishabailu traveled by bus to Nyegezi bus station in Mwanza, where he
handed over 150 million Tanzanian Shillings to Mr. Zabron Mponzi, stating the
funds were urgently needed by senior officials in Dodoma, and he retained 39
million Shillings," added Hon. Majaliwa.
The Prime Minister has been actively
combating corruption in the country, echoing the leadership style of former
President John Magufuli, with critics noting that in this fight, it seems he
lacks the support of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. For those suspended, it's
hard to tell if their cases will end up in court and if they will continue to
receive their salaries from the government.