A TZS 69.1 billion rural electrification project being implemented by the Rural Energy Agency (REA) is set to extend electricity to 634 hamlets in Ruvuma Region, a move expected to consolidate earlier gains in village-level connectivity while shifting focus to harder-to-reach settlements.
The three-year project, which will initially benefit 20,328 customers, forms part of the government’s broader rural energy expansion agenda under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.
It comes at a time when national policy is increasingly emphasising last-mile connectivity as a prerequisite for inclusive economic growth.
Speaking in Ruvuma on February 2, 2026, REA’s Manager for Electricity Distribution Project Management, Engineer Deogratius Nagu, said the project has been allocated TZS 69,134,982,657.96 and has entered the implementation phase following the formal introduction of contractors.
He was representing REA Director General, Engineer Hassan Saidy.
According to REA, the project will be executed by two contractors: the Electricity Transmission and Distribution Construction and Operation (ETDCO) and Energy Services Ltd.
ETDCO will cover 262 hamlets in Mbinga and Nyasa districts at a cost of TZS 37.9 billion, while Energy Services Ltd will implement works in 372 hamlets across Songea, Namtumbo and Tunduru districts with a budget of TZS 31.2 billion.
The project builds on previous electrification efforts in the region. Data presented by REA shows that all 551 villages in Ruvuma have already been connected to electricity.
However, only 2,107 out of the region’s 3,691 hamlets currently have access, leaving a significant connectivity gap at sub-village level. An additional 731 hamlets are already under ongoing electrification works, underscoring the scale and complexity of extending power infrastructure beyond village centres.
Ruvuma Regional Commissioner Brigadier General Ahmed Abasi Ahmed said electricity access remains a critical enabler for economic activities and service delivery, particularly in rural areas where agriculture, small enterprises and social services depend on reliable power.
He stressed the importance of timely implementation and adherence to technical standards, noting that delays and substandard works could undermine the expected development outcomes.
Beyond infrastructure delivery, the project also places responsibility on local communities to protect electricity assets and cooperate with contractors.
Regional authorities, he said, are prepared to provide technical and security support to ensure smooth implementation.
While village electrification has largely been achieved in several regions, the transition to hamlet-level coverage represents the more capital-intensive and operationally demanding phase of rural electrification.
The success of projects such as the Ruvuma initiative will therefore be a key indicator of how effectively the government can translate grid expansion into tangible economic and social transformation at household level.
As implementation begins, attention is likely to focus on execution efficiency, cost control and the speed at which new connections translate into productive use of electricity—factors that will ultimately determine the project’s long-term impact.
