ACT Wazalendo has raised fresh concerns over alleged corruption in Zanzibar’s oil sector, with the party’s Campaign Manager, Ismail Jussa, accusing the government of bending procurement rules to favor politically connected companies.
Addressing a large rally at Kwa Geji grounds in Bububu, Jussa said the government had ignored the Petroleum Bulk Procurement Regulations of 2017, which require tenders to be awarded to the lowest bidder.
Instead, he alleged, authorities granted contracts to firms that quoted higher prices, a move he described as deliberate and designed to benefit a small cartel.
“This is not just mismanagement it is daylight robbery. A small group has turned the oil sector into a private business at the expense of the people of Zanzibar,” Jussa told supporters, who responded with cheers.
He further claimed that companies previously operating depots at Mtoni were forced to relocate to Mangapwani under the pretext of security, which he argued was part of a corrupt plan to sideline existing operators and give an unfair advantage to one preferred company.
According to Jussa, the situation has worsened as the firm awarded the bulk import contract continues to dominate retail trade, allegedly setting its own foreign exchange rates instead of following those announced daily by the Central Bank.
He said this practice has pushed up the cost of fuel and placed additional burdens on consumers.
Jussa added that ordinary Zanzibaris, from small food vendors and fishermen to bus and boda boda operators, are bearing the brunt of these inflated prices, which ripple through the economy by raising transport, electricity and commodity costs.
He also questioned the integrity of the tendering process, saying that representatives of competing companies were excluded from the room during the opening and evaluation of bids.
“It was a well-orchestrated plan. The authorities had already decided the outcome, and what followed was just a formality to legitimize corruption,” he said.
Jussa urged Zanzibaris to use the ballot box in the October 29 election to bring about change, insisting that only ACT Wazalendo under its presidential candidate Othman Masoud Othman would restore transparency, justice and fairness in the sector.
“The people of Zanzibar have been exploited for too long. A new Zanzibar free from corruption and built on equality and accountability is possible. It is in the hands of the people to make that choice,” he concluded.