The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals, led by Chairman Dr. David Mathayo David, visited Makete District in Njombe Region to review the progress of rural electrification projects.
Accompanied by Deputy Minister for Energy Judith Kapinga, and officials from the Rural Energy Agency (REA) and the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO), the committee toured the area to monitor the ongoing work.
During their visit, the committee inspected the electricity project in Mang’oto village and praised REA for its successful management of the project, ensuring that local residents now have access to electricity.
Dr. Mathayo acknowledged REA's efforts but urged the contractor to speed up the work to ensure all areas are connected on time.
“We commend REA for its excellent work in bringing electricity to rural areas, especially here in Mang’oto. However, we urge the contractor to accelerate the pace of work so that all the remaining areas can be connected without delay. The people deserve to benefit from this essential service,” said Dr. Mathayo.
Deputy Minister Hon. Kapinga reassured the community that the government is fully committed to resolving the country’s electricity challenges and ensuring that all villages and hamlets receive power.
"The government is dedicated to ensuring that every village and hamlet has access to electricity. This will help improve key services such as healthcare and education, as well as enable people to run their businesses both day and night," she stated.
REA Director General Engineer Jones Olotu also emphasized that the government plans to speed up electrification efforts by announcing new tenders to support the expansion of the projects.
"We understand that electricity is a key driver of development. To ensure we reach all the remaining areas, we will soon announce new tenders to boost the speed of electrification work," said Engineer Olotu.
Local resident Mr. Daniel Mbilinyi expressed his happiness with the new electricity connection, highlighting how it has positively impacted their lives.
“Electricity has brought a huge improvement to our community. It has helped our businesses grow, and students can now study at night. We are grateful to President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan for investing in projects that benefit rural areas like ours,” said Mr. Mbilinyi.
During the visit, the committee also held a public meeting with local residents, providing them with a chance to voice their opinions and feedback on the electrification projects and other development initiatives in the area.