Health Minister Mohamed Mchengerwa has instructed the contractor constructing the cancer treatment centre at Benjamin Mkapa Central Referral Hospital in Dodoma to fast-track the works, warning that the government will not grant any further extension beyond the August 31, 2026 deadline.
The minister issued the directive on January 14, 2026, during an inspection tour of the hospital, where he reviewed service delivery, assessed ongoing infrastructure projects and held a working session with senior officials from institutions under the Ministry of Health, as well as health workers from Dodoma Region.
Mr Mchengerwa said Mohamed Builders, the contractor implementing the project, must significantly increase the pace of construction to ensure timely completion, stressing that failure to meet the deadline would attract strict sanctions.
“I am directing the contractor to add speed and ensure the facility is completed by August 31, 2026. If the contractor fails to deliver within this timeframe, they should not be awarded any other projects under the Ministry of Health,” he said.
The minister noted that the completion of the state-of-the-art cancer centre, expected to become a major centre of excellence in Africa, will greatly reduce the pressure on the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Dar es Salaam, which currently serves as the country’s main referral facility for cancer treatment.
He added that the Dodoma facility will improve access to specialised cancer care for patients from the Central Zone and other parts of Tanzania, while also attracting patients from neighbouring African countries.
The project is estimated to cost more than Sh30 billion and has so far reached about 60 per cent completion, according to officials.