By Charles Mkoka
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa (pictured in black coat) has directed the immediate prosecution of four officials from the Kigamboni Municipal Council and four employees from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) under the President's Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), over their involvement in the embezzlement of Sh165.6 million.
In addition, Majaliwa has suspended Ms. Annie Nyabugumba Maugo, an official from the TSA unit, for her role in a shady transaction that moved the funds from PO-RALG to the Kigamboni Municipal Council.
Majaliwa issued these directives today (Sunday, October 6, 2024) during a meeting with Kigamboni Municipal Council employees in Dar es Salaam, part of his two-day working tour of the region.
The Premier's decision follows an investigation conducted by a special task force he commissioned to probe the allegations, as well as a special audit by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG). The findings revealed a calculated effort to use the trust account to obscure the funds, far removed from its intended purpose.
Majaliwa explained that on September 5, 2022, three unscrupulous employees from PO-RALG colluded with Kigamboni Council officials to funnel Sh165.6 million into a trust account, where the money sat unnoticed for over a year, bypassing the Municipal Director, the Council of Councillors, and key department heads.
“This small group met in Dodoma during financial planning sessions for municipal councils, and together with PO-RALG finance officials, Mr. Aidan Mponzi and Ms. Adora Mwombeki Mbalilaki conspired to transfer the money, with plans to withdraw it later for their personal use,” Majaliwa detailed.
These funds were spent covertly, without informing the Council of Councillors or including them in the municipal budget, making it impossible for other department heads to know about their existence.
Upon uncovering the scam, investigators questioned Kigamboni Municipal Director, Mr. Erasto Kiwale, who admitted that he was completely unaware of the funds. He had previously demanded that Mr. Geofrey James Martin, the Head of Finance, return the money. However, Mr. Martin failed to comply, claiming the money had been allocated for the Management and Development for Health (MDH) project, though the District Medical Officer was unaware of any such funds.
Further questioning revealed that the funds were sent from PO-RALG under a secretive agreement with the intent to return part of the money to Mr. Idan Zabron. Mr. Martin confessed that the funds were never disclosed to the Council of Councillors as they had been transferred illegally.
The investigation also uncovered that Sh105.6 million had already been spent on road repairs leading to the Lingate dumpsite. The payments were made in three installments: Sh77.5 million to Konya Investment Company Ltd, Sh28.1 million to Mbogolo Investment Company, and Sh2.4 million as an allowance for the project supervisor. However, a site inspection revealed the road was built using dirt rather than gravel, with actual costs not exceeding Sh30 million.
Further inquiries showed that the contractors lacked the necessary qualifications and were mere fronts to funnel the money. In a glaring conflict of interest, Kigamboni Council accountant, Mr. Jonathan Stanley Manguli, was a signatory for Mbogolo Investment Company, which shares the same address as Konya Investment Company Ltd.
Prime Minister Majaliwa commended the Kigamboni Municipal Council for suspending and dismissing the officials implicated in the scandal. "I congratulate you for taking action, especially the Municipal Director, who acted swiftly to investigate the matter and push for the funds' return. Unfortunately, they ignored your directive, showing their true intentions,” Majaliwa remarked.
However, the Prime Minister's resolute stance against corruption has not been without challenges. Despite his tireless efforts to root out fraud and promote accountability across Tanzania's government institutions, many citizens remain skeptical about the overall effectiveness of his anti-graft campaign. Some argue that the Premier’s attempts to demote and prosecute corrupt officials have been undermined by a lack of alignment between him and the President, with critics noting that the two leaders often seem to speak different languages on the issue of corruption.
Majaliwa has spearheaded multiple high-profile initiatives to combat graft, ranging from creating task forces to investigate fraud allegations to pushing for the prosecution of senior government officials involved in malfeasance. His push for transparency has led to the uncovering of several financial scandals across different sectors, and he's been vocal in demanding accountability at all levels of government.
However, the Premier's crusade against corruption has met with mixed reviews from the public. Many believe that while Majaliwa is committed to fighting graft, his efforts are hampered by a lack of political will at the highest levels.
Some Tanzanians express frustration that even when fraudulent officials are removed from their posts, there is little follow-through in terms of legal prosecution or reclaiming lost public funds. Others feel that the President's softer approach to combating corruption does not match Majaliwa’s hardline stance, leading to a lack of coordination in fighting systemic issues.
The divide in the top leadership's approach to corruption has left many citizens feeling that real change remains elusive. While Majaliwa continues to push for reforms and actions to clean up government institutions, public trust in the process remains fragile as Tanzanians await concrete results and stronger unity among their leaders in tackling the issue head-on.