Improved road infrastructure and street lighting are transforming Sumbawanga Municipality, making transport easier, improving neighbourhood security and expanding residents’ access to essential services, according to the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA).
The municipality accounts for 60.7 kilometres, or 98 percent, of the 62 kilometres of tarmac roads managed by TARURA across Rukwa Region, making it the region’s leading urban centre in terms of the agency’s tarmac road network.
The expanding network has improved connections between residential areas and economic centres, including markets, schools and health facilities, while changing the town’s appearance.
TARURA Rukwa Regional Manager, Engineer Chacha Mwita Moseti, said the condition of roads in the municipality had improved significantly, with street lighting adding another layer of safety for residents.
"Currently, the environment has improved. The town has sufficient tarmac roads, and all the roads have been installed with streetlights, allowing residents to move around without fear, whether during the day or at night," he said.
He said improved connectivity had made areas that were previously difficult to access reachable throughout the day, easing the movement of people and goods and supporting social and economic activities.
The benefits are particularly visible among small-scale transport operators and residents who previously struggled with poor road conditions.
Juma Abubakar Juma, a bajaj driver from Majengo, said the improved roads had reduced the difficulties associated with transporting passengers and maintaining his vehicle.
He said he could now make trips to and from the town more efficiently, while spending considerably less on repairs caused by poor road surfaces.
For residents, the improvements have also addressed long-standing concerns about accessibility and security.
Salafina Kilapi, also a resident of Majengo, said poor roads had previously made transport difficult, but the construction of tarmac roads had significantly improved movement within the neighbourhood.
She said the installation of streetlights had also made the area safer, giving residents greater confidence to move around at night.
Beyond the municipal network, TARURA says it is continuing to improve road accessibility across Rukwa, where 72.4 percent of the regional road network is currently passable.
Engineer Moseti said the agency had been allocated TZS12.4 billion for road works during the 2026/27 financial year, with implementation already under way.
He said procurement processes covering 60 percent of the budget had been completed, contractors had been identified and were already working at project sites.
"We have completed procurement for 60 percent of our budget. Contractors have been secured and are already on site implementing the projects," he said.
With the rainy season approaching, TARURA has also begun preparations to protect roads and drainage infrastructure against possible flooding associated with the anticipated El Niño conditions.
Engineer Moseti said the agency had cleared drainage channels, cleaned rivers to facilitate the flow of rainwater and identified areas considered vulnerable to flooding.
The measures are intended to minimise damage to roads and ensure continued accessibility during heavy rainfall.
The agency's challenge will be to sustain the gains made in Sumbawanga while extending reliable road access to other parts of Rukwa, where nearly three in every ten kilometres of the regional network remain impassable.