Africa-Press – Tanzania. CHAMA cha Kijamii (CCK) has pledged to provide low-interest housing loans and end predatory lending practices that have left many Tanzanians struggling with debt, with some even forced to flee their homes.
The party also expressed appreciation to the government for supporting presidential candidates with campaign vehicles through the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and for its efforts to build and distribute affordable houses to citizens.
The promises were made by CCK presidential candidate Mr David Mwaijojele during the party’s campaign rally held on Monday at the Main Market in Arusha, under the slogan “Change is Now, Change is Us.”
Mr Mwaijojele said that if elected, CCK will prioritise housing, ensuring that all citizens are capable of accessing decent and affordable homes. The party also plans to establish ward-level gas distribution centres to provide low-cost cooking gas and reduce dependency on expensive energy sources.
“We will build houses across the country and sell them at affordable prices so that every Tanzanian has the opportunity to own a home,” he said.
He added that the party will introduce large-scale modern farming and irrigation projects to increase food production, reduce hunger and ensure that citizens can afford three meals a day, instead of surviving on one.
Mr Mwaijojele also pledged to lower healthcare costs, expand access to health insurance and create a Food Security Agency to ensure every Tanzanian has enough to eat.
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“We will reduce prices of essential services like electricity, water and gas and we’ll make sure every Tanzanian benefits from national resources,” he noted.
On the issue of unemployment, Mr Mwaijojele said CCK plans to eradicate joblessness by supporting entrepreneurship and releasing individuals imprisoned for minor or oppressive offences through the party’s legal assistance initiatives.
He also stressed the need to reform the country’s loan system, especially addressing what he called “blood-curdling loans” that are financially suffocating many families
and even straining marriages.
“These loans are hurting our people. CCK will create a dedicated bank to offer loans without oppressive conditions and ensure affordability,” he said.
On local business issues, Mwaijojele pledged to eliminate burdensome fees on small traders in collaboration with the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), promising to allocate large government farms for citizens to grow and sell produce more effectively.
Mr Ramadhani Digo, CCK’s parliamentary candidate for Arusha Urban, highlighted challenges in the constituency, including an overcrowded central market and called
for the construction of a modern trading facility to relocate street vendors and support wholesale trade.
“I’m tired of empty promises. Our markets and healthcare systems need real change. Input subsidies for farmers have also been slashed,” Digo said.
He also criticised the biased distribution of 10 per cent council loans, pledging to advocate for equal access for youth and women if elected.
In Karatu, CCK parliamentary candidate Magdalena Saimon echoed the call for change, urging voters to support the party from councillor to presidential level, emphasising the need to address both minor and major issues affecting citizens.
Friendly parties, including the Demokrasia Makini (DP), voiced their support for CCK and expressed readiness to work together to win elections at all levels and bring meaningful development to Tanzanians.
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