By Saidi Lufune, Dodoma
Tanzania’s government will continue implementing a national strategy to address dangerous and destructive wildlife, including deploying permanent ranger units in affected communities.
Speaking in parliament in Dodoma, Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Hamad Hassan Chande said on Tuesday that permanent wildlife patrol units had been stationed in Bwiti and Mwakijembe wards to enable rapid response when wild animals invade residential and farming areas.
He was responding to a question from lawmaker Twaha Said Mwakioja, who sought to know what measures the government was taking to control elephants that injure people and destroy property.
Chande said the measures form part of a broader national strategy that includes the use of modern technology such as GPS tracking collars, drones, and non-lethal deterrents to manage dangerous wildlife, particularly elephants, in Mkinga district.
In a separate response to a question from lawmaker Edibily Kazala Kinyoma on compensation for residents of Katoto hamlet who made way for the Makere Forest Reserve project, Chande said the government had already conducted assessments of affected households and resettled them.
He said 4,446 hectares of land had been allocated at Nyantuku hamlet in Kagerankanda village, with each household receiving a 32-by-64-metre residential plot and three hectares for farming.
“Residents displaced from Katoto have already received compensation in the form of land for settlement, agriculture and livestock, as well as government support for transporting their belongings during relocation,” Chande said.
He added that by October 2025, the Kigoma regional administration, in coordination with Kasulu district authorities, had successfully relocated all residents from Katoto hamlet to Nyantuku in Kagerankanda village.