By The Respondents Reporter
The government has allocated TZS273.6 million to install solar power systems on seven islands in Musoma District, in a move aimed at expanding electricity access to remote communities under President Samia Suluhu Hassan's rural electrification agenda.
The project will benefit the islands of Nyasaungu, Muroba, Kagongo, Nyamasanje, Rukuba, Iriga and another island in the district, according to Deputy Minister for Energy Salome Makamba.
Speaking during Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba's visit to Musoma Rural Constituency to address residents' concerns, Ms Makamba said the initiative demonstrates the government's commitment to ensuring every Tanzanian has access to electricity, regardless of where they live.
She said the government has made significant progress in expanding electricity access in the constituency, with all villages already connected to the national grid. The current focus, she noted, is on extending power to the remaining sub-villages.
Of the constituency's 374 sub-villages, only about 100 have yet to receive electricity, while electrification projects are already underway in more than 50 others.
Ms Makamba said the Ministry of Energy had also received a request from the area's Member of Parliament to ensure all remaining sub-villages are connected by 2027, adding that the proposal is consistent with the government's national target of providing electricity to every sub-village by 2030.
She said the ministry is also prioritising electricity supply to productive areas, including mining sites in Musoma Rural, to support investment, create jobs and stimulate local economic growth.
Responding to complaints from residents living near existing electricity infrastructure but still without connections, Ms Makamba directed the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco) district manager to ensure eligible households are connected without delay.
She further urged residents to embrace clean cooking energy, saying the government is subsidising more than 50 percent of the cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cooking stoves to make them affordable for households.
The planned solar project is expected to improve electricity access for island communities, boost economic activities and enhance the delivery of essential public services in the Lake Victoria zone.
