ACT Wazalendo has raised concerns over rising poverty in Tanzania, blaming alleged misuse of public funds, wasteful government expenditure, excessive borrowing and poor development priorities under the ruling CCM administration.
Speaking during a public rally in Kumsenga Ward, Kibondo District, Kigoma Region, ACT Wazalendo leader Dorothy Manka Semu said government policies and financial management practices had contributed to the growing economic difficulties facing ordinary Tanzanians.
Citing government statistics, Semu said the basic needs poverty rate stood at 25.1 per cent in 2025, equivalent to approximately 17.5 million people out of an estimated population of 70 million. This represents an increase from 14.7 million people recorded in 2017/18.
She questioned why millions of Tanzanians continued to struggle to afford essential needs, including food, proper nutrition, healthcare, housing and children's education, despite the country's reported economic growth.
Semu also pointed to gaps in access to basic services, particularly in rural communities. According to the 2022 Population and Housing Census, only 17.7 per cent of households in Kigoma used grid electricity for lighting, while 35.3 per cent had access to improved toilets.
She further criticised government borrowing, arguing that the cost of servicing public debt was placing an increasing burden on citizens through taxes, levies and deductions affecting farmers, small-scale miners, salaried workers and other income earners.
According to Semu, TZS 370 out of every TZS 1,000 collected by the Government goes towards servicing public debt, reducing the resources available for essential public services and development programmes.
On employment, she cited 2025 National Bureau of Statistics figures showing that approximately 15.55 million Tanzanians depend on agriculture, while 95.7 per cent of employment is informal.
She said the dominance of informal employment leaves many Tanzanians without stable incomes, formal employment contracts and adequate social protection.
Semu argued that the Government should prioritise public services such as water, healthcare, education and infrastructure instead of allowing public resources to be lost through wasteful expenditure and weak financial management.
Turning to Kigoma's economic potential, she identified Lake Tanganyika, palm oil farming, fishing, tourism, livestock keeping and regional trade as key opportunities that could improve livelihoods and create employment.
However, she said residents had yet to benefit fully from these resources due to limited investment and inadequate value addition and processing industries.
She called on Tanzanians to join ACT Wazalendo in demanding greater accountability, protection of public resources, expansion of formal employment opportunities and increased investment in local economic activities.
"Public funds belong to the people and must be used to improve their lives," Semu said, stressing the need to address corruption and financial mismanagement as part of efforts to reduce poverty.
The party maintained that responsible management of public resources and investment in productive sectors were essential to ensuring that economic growth translates into improved living standards for ordinary Tanzanians.