Our Correspondence, Arusha
Tanzania’s Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA), through the Roads to Inclusion and Socio-Economic Opportunities (RISE) Project, is expanding the use of community groups in routine road maintenance as part of efforts to create jobs, increase household incomes and improve the sustainability of rural transport infrastructure.
Speaking during a six-day capacity-building training for road and community development experts in Arusha, TARURA Social Development Specialist, Ms Mwanamisi Abdallah, said the initiative is aligned with a policy requirement that allocates 30 percent of road works budgets to routine maintenance activities.
She said TARURA is using the opportunity to directly involve local communities by forming and strengthening Community-Based Routine Maintenance (CBRM) groups consisting of between five and 20 members.
“These groups will be awarded contracts to undertake activities such as clearing drainage channels, filling minor potholes, removing road obstructions and cutting vegetation. It is a significant opportunity for communities to secure employment, increase incomes and take ownership of the road infrastructure in their areas,” she said.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) National Programme Coordinator, Mr Dampu Ndenzako, said the partnership between ILO and TARURA aims to strengthen the capacity of professionals overseeing the programme and ensure community groups effectively participate in road maintenance while generating economic benefits.
He noted that experience has shown that involving local communities in maintaining roads, particularly in rural areas, increases ownership of the infrastructure, improves transport services and helps keep roads accessible throughout the year.
TARURA Kongwa District Manager, Engineer Peter Johnson, said the district began implementing the programme during the 2025/26 financial year and had established 34 CBRM groups, of which 31 have already started road maintenance work while the remaining groups are finalising contractual procedures.
Senior Community Development Officer from Dodoma City Council, Ms Hidaya Abdallah, said the training would equip community development experts with skills to identify, establish, register and support the groups in accordance with the programme’s guidelines.
The six-day training brings together engineers, environmental and social experts from TARURA headquarters, regional and district offices, as well as community development officers from district councils, preparing them to oversee implementation of the programme in the 2026/27 financial year.
