The government has stepped up efforts to improve learning infrastructure by rolling out a nationwide plan to rehabilitate aging schools under a new programme targeting primary and secondary institutions.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, said the government has prepared a project proposal dubbed the School Infrastructure Facelifting Programme (SIFA) and submitted it to the Ministry of Planning Tanzania to facilitate funding.
He made the remarks on April 15, 2026, while responding to Members of Parliament during deliberations on the 2026/27 budget estimates for the Prime Minister’s Office.
Prof. Shemdoe said the initiative aims to rehabilitate all aging pre-primary, primary and secondary schools across the country, addressing long-standing infrastructure gaps that have affected the quality of education.
He commended Prof. Kitila Mkumbo and his team at the Ministry of Planning for receiving the proposal, expressing optimism that funding will be secured to implement the programme.
An assessment conducted by the government shows that extensive renovation is required, particularly at the primary school level where 42,716 classrooms and 31,813 teachers’ houses need rehabilitation.
At the secondary level, the plan targets 6,889 classrooms, 3,518 teachers’ houses, 91 libraries and 309 dormitories.
The minister noted that the government has been implementing rehabilitation efforts in phases, spending a total of Sh237.9 billion between the 2021/22 and 2025/26 financial years on upgrading and constructing infrastructure in aging schools.
The SIFA programme is expected to scale up these efforts through a coordinated national approach, with a focus on improving the learning environment and supporting better education outcomes across the country.
