Tanga Region has become one of the first regions in Tanzania to achieve full electrification of its villages, with all 763 villages now connected to the national grid under the Rural Energy Agency (REA) programme.
The milestone was highlighted yesterday in Korogwe District during a meeting between REA officials and contractors, where it was also revealed that 2,382 out of 4,531 hamlets—equivalent to 52.6 percent—have been connected to electricity.
REA Board Chairperson, Ambassador (Rtd) Major General Jacob Kingu, said the achievement demonstrates the government’s commitment to extending reliable power to rural communities. However, he cautioned that the pace of household connections remains slow and needs to be accelerated.
“Electricity in villages is not enough unless households are connected and start using it for social and economic activities. Contractors must increase speed, efficiency and creativity so that more people benefit from this investment,” he said.
The government has injected Sh68.5 billion into REA projects in Tanga alone, funding the expansion of power infrastructure to ensure communities have access to energy for development.
REA Director General, Engineer Hassan Saidy, said the agency will continue to push contractors—including Ok Electrical and Electronics Services Ltd, Tontan Project Technology Co. Ltd, Transpower Ltd, and Whitecity International Contractor Ltd to deliver projects on time.
“We will maintain close supervision of all contractors so that these projects bring meaningful change to society,” he said.
Acting REA Regional Project Engineer for Tanga, Engineer Kelvin Melchiad, said the investment is already improving livelihoods, with more connections expected in the coming months as the government pushes toward universal access to electricity.
The Korogwe meeting brought together REA leadership and contractors to review progress and tackle challenges, as Tanzania moves closer to its rural electrification targets.
