No More UDSM Students' Marriages

The launching of student hostels at the University of Dar es Salaam, held on April 15th, 2017, by Dr. John Pombe Magufuli on the campus, has revived new hopes for students, parents, and the Tanzanian community at large.

During the launching ceremony, President of the United Republic of Tanzania Hon. John Pombe Magufuli stated that the long-standing accommodation issue will now be history. He said some of the students were forced into informal marriages so as to get accommodation, a situation that has been disturbing him due to the fact that many national leaders, including himself, have acquired their knowledge at the university.

Among the other advantages of the hostels' completion are lower student expenses and inconveniences when compared to the Mabibo hostels, which were built in the early 2000s for 27 billion shillings and accommodated 4,000 students. While the new hostels will cost only 10 billion shillings and accommodate 3,840 students, contrary to most people's expectations, who mocked and doubted the project's success, construction began in June 2016 under local contractor TBA and has achieved great success. President Maguli also stated that he hoped to spend no more than ten billion Tanzanian shillings.

The feasibility study team's report revealed that the project will cost between 150 and 170 billion shillings to complete, with which Magufuli disagreed and decided to use local contractors. He contracted the Tanzania Building Agency (TBA), in partnership with and under the close supervision of JKT, the national army, which was highly committed and worked hard, therefore completing the construction in a year.

Surely, several efforts to overcome social problems, especially for ordinary citizens, by the fifth government should not be ignored. The purchase of new ATCL planes, the opening of the Kigamboni bridge, the construction of flyovers at the Ubungo and Tazara junctions, as well as the recent opening of the standard-gauge railway to Morogoro and the construction of houses for the evicted in Magomeni, are just a few of the promises made by the CCM manifesto during the election campaigns and now being fulfilled even before the end of the first season.

Ndoa za wanafunzi UDSM sasa Basi

Uzinduzi wa mabweni ya Wanafunzi wa Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam uliofanywa Tarehe 15 Aprili 2017 na Dr. John Pombe Magufuli, katika eneo la chuo kikuu hicho yamefufua matumaini mapya kwa wanafunzi, wazazi na jamii ya kitanzania.

Akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi huo, Rais wa Jamuhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania Mh. John Pombe Magufuli alitanabaisha kuwa hivi sasa tatizo la makazi kwa wanafunzi lililowasumbua kwa muda mrefu litabaki historia. Alisema baadhi ya wanafunzi walilazimika kuoa au kuolewa ili tu wapate makazi ya kuishi jambo lililokuwa likimkera hasa ukizingatia viongozi wengi wa nchi hii wamepitia hapo akiwepo yeye mwenyewe.

Miongoni mwa faida za kukamilika kwa mabweni hayo ni pamoja na kupunguza gharama na usumbufu kwa wanafunzi ukilinganisha na mabweni ya Mabibo, licha ya kuwa yalijengwa miaka ya 2000 yaligharimu shilingi Bilioni 27 na kuchukua wanafunzi 4,000. Lakini haya mapya yamejengwa kwa shilingi bilioni 10 tu na yatachukua wanafunzi 3,840.

Ujenzi huo ulioanza mwezi Juni 2016 chini ya makandarasi wa zawa TBA, umekuwa na mafanikio makubwa tofauti na matarajio ya watu wengi waliokuwa kakibeza na kupinga mafanikio ya mradi huo. Dr. Magufuli alisema kuwa mtazamo zake ilikuwa nikutumia peasa kidogo zisizozidi shilingi bilioni kumi kwa manufaa ya walipa kodi na jamii ya kitanzania.

Lakini timu ya watafiti waliopewa jukumu la kufanya utafiti kabla ya ujenzi (fesiability study) walisema ujenzi huo utagharimu kati ya bilioni 150 - 170 za kitanzania. Jambo ambalo Magufuli hakukubaliana nalo na kuamua kutumia wakala wa ujenzi wa majengo TBA kwa ushirikiano na usimamizi wa jeshi la kujenga taifa JKT waliofanya kazi kwa kujituma na uzalendo mkubwa , hatimaye kukamilisha ujenzi huo ndani ya mwaka mmoja.

Juhudi mbalimbali zinazofanywa na serikali ya awamu ya tano kutatua kero za wananchi wa hali ya chini hakika si zakubezwa. Ununuzi wa ndege za shirika la ndege la taifa ATCL, Uzinduzi wa daraja la kigamboni na Ujenzi wa barabara za juu kwenye makutano ya barabara Ubungo na Tazara,lakini pia uzinduzi wa Ujenzi wa reli ya kisasa kwenda morogoro, uzinduzi wa ujenzi wa makazi ya watu waliobomolewa nyumba zao maeneo ya Magomeni ni baadhi ya mambo yaliyoahidiwa na ilani ya chama cha mapinduzi katika uchaguzi uliopita na kuanza kutekelezwa hata kabla ya msimu wa kwanza kukamilika.