Our Correspondence, Mbeya
Tanzania’s Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA) plans to expand a community-based road maintenance programme to cover 7,000 kilometres of roads across 70 districts nationwide during the 2026/27 financial year.
The initiative, implemented under the Roads to Inclusion and Socioeconomic Opportunities (RISE) project, uses community groups to carry out routine road maintenance, creating local employment opportunities while helping preserve rural transport infrastructure.
Speaking at the opening of a six-day training programme for TARURA officials in Mbeya, Community-Based Routine Maintenance (CBRM) Coordinator Richard Misa said the agency is entering the second year of implementation after positive results from the initial phase.
During the 2025/26 financial year, TARURA signed contracts with 302 community groups, with 160 already engaged in maintaining approximately 1,500 kilometres of roads in selected districts across the regions of Tanga, Pwani, Morogoro and Dodoma.
“After witnessing the success of the first year of implementation, we are now moving into the second phase, which will be rolled out nationwide,” Misa said.
The expanded programme will cover 25 regions, excluding Dar es Salaam, and involve maintenance work on 7,000 kilometres of roads, including those already under the scheme.
The initiative is designed not only to improve road conditions but also to strengthen local ownership of transport infrastructure.
Butine Jilala, TARURA District Manager for Ludewa and a participant in the training programme, said community groups would act as the first line of defence against road deterioration by reporting damage early and helping ensure routine maintenance is carried out consistently.
“Members of these groups live in the communities where the roads are located, making them well positioned to identify emerging problems and protect the infrastructure,” Jilala said.
Environmental and social safeguards also form part of the programme.
Senior Environmental Officer Shukuru Njati said TARURA specialists are training field teams on environmental protection, community engagement, occupational health and workplace safety to ensure maintenance activities are carried out responsibly.
The training sessions currently underway in Mbeya bring together TARURA personnel from the regions of Tabora, Katavi, Mbeya, Kigoma, Njombe, Iringa and Songwe.
The RISE project is one of Tanzania’s flagship rural connectivity programmes, aimed at improving access to markets, schools, healthcare facilities and other essential services while creating economic opportunities in underserved communities.
