More than 3,500 residents of Nadonjuki village in Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, can now access safe and clean water near their homes following the inauguration of a new water project by the 2025 Uhuru Torch race team.
The project, valued at Sh614.9 million, has ended years of hardship for the community, which had previously been forced to walk up to 15 kilometres each way to fetch water from neighbouring villages of Komolo and Terrat.
According to Eng. Joanes Martin, the Simanjiro District Manager for the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA), the project was jointly financed by the central government, which contributed Sh560.5 million, and development partners who injected Sh54.3 million, primarily to install a solar energy system that powers the water infrastructure.
“The completion of this project means villagers will now walk between 400 to 1,000 metres to access water. It’s a major transformation for the area,” said Eng. Martin.
The National Leader of the Uhuru Torch race, Mr Ismail Ussi, praised RUWASA for its efficiency and commitment to improving rural livelihoods through sustainable water solutions.
“I commend the RUWASA team in Manyara, led by Eng. James Kionaumela, and the Simanjiro District Office under Eng. Martin.
This project is an example of how public funds can be used to directly improve people’s lives,” said Mr Ussi.
Simanjiro District Commissioner Fakii Lulandala also lauded the Sixth-Phase Government, under the leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, for delivering on its promise to invest in essential social services.
“This initiative gives life to the President’s vision of lifting the burden off the shoulders of rural women and girls who have for years carried water over long distances. Today, that burden has been lifted in Nadonjuki,” said Mr Lulandala.
For residents like Enjo Daniel, the change is not only about easier access to water but also about safety and productivity.
“We used to rely on unsafe stream water from Njoromaimai and Mukamba. Now we can spend more time on farming and other activities that bring income instead of spending hours fetching water,” he said.
Another villager, Ms Naitapwak Laizer, described the project as life-changing: “It’s hard to explain the relief. We were walking up to 30 kilometres every day to get water. Now, it’s just a few minutes away.”
The Nadonjuki water project stands as part of the government’s broader rural development strategy aimed at achieving universal access to clean water by 2030.