Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba has ordered the establishment of permanent regional teams to inspect buildings and development projects in a move aimed at curbing the use of substandard materials and violations of approved Bills of Quantities (BOQs) by contractors.
He directed the Minister of State in the Prime Minister Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG) to write to all Regional Commissioners, instructing them to form specialised inspection teams and ensure adequate budgets are set aside to equip them with modern inspection tools.
Dr Nchemba said the initiative would institutionalise routine technical inspections across the country and prevent losses caused by poor workmanship that often goes unnoticed once projects are completed.
He stressed that inspections should not be limited to special occasions such as the Uhuru Torch race, but should be a continuous government practice.
“There is an engineer who inspects projects during the Uhuru Torch race. All regions should have teams of young professionals like that, so that leaders are not misled. This should become a normal culture within government,” the Prime Minister said.
He issued the directive on Sunday, December 21, 2025, while addressing leaders and residents of Ruangwa and Nachingwea districts in Lindi Region during a three-day tour to inspect development projects.
Speaking after inspecting the construction of Nachingwea District Council offices, Dr Nchemba said some contractors deliberately ignore BOQs during implementation, compromising quality and safety.
He cited cases where contractors use steel bars of smaller diameters than specified, noting that such deviations are difficult to detect once construction is complete.
“You may find the BOQ requires 16mm steel bars, but the contractor installs 12mm bars. In some areas six bars are required, but only four are used. When the building is finished, it becomes impossible to visually verify whether the agreement was followed,” he said.
He emphasised that every region must establish a team of professionals whose day-to-day responsibility will be to monitor government-funded projects and identify areas where public funds have not been properly utilised, enabling timely corrective measures.
“All regions should have these units and ensure they are properly equipped to inspect buildings and other projects, instead of waiting for investigations during the Uhuru Torch race,” he said.
Earlier, Dr Nchemba laid a foundation stone for the Lindi–Ruangwa–Nachingwea water supply project at Chimbila A village in Ruangwa District.
The project draws water from the Nyangao and Chilua rivers in Lindi District and is being implemented by the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA).
Once completed, the project is expected to benefit 56 villages, including 34 in Ruangwa District, 21 in Nachingwea District and one village in Lindi District.
Providing an update on the project, RUWASA Director General Engineer Walter Kirita said the scheme is expected to cost TZS119 billion.
So far, Sh49 billion has been disbursed, with construction reaching 67 percent completion. The project began in February 2023, and the first phase is scheduled for completion in June 2026, although some villages are expected to start receiving water services by February 2026.
After laying the foundation stone, Dr Nchemba said he was satisfied with the pace of implementation, noting that progress on the ground had exceeded the level of funds released so far, in line with the standards set by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“This is how the President wants to see projects implemented. Here, the level of execution is higher than the funds released to date,” he said.
The Prime Minister also commended former Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa for initiating the project and consistently following up on funding to ensure its implementation.