Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), retired President Jakaya Kikwete has comforted and pledged to help restore the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) after the October fire which destroyed students’ practical laboratory at the Mizingani Campus in Stone Town.
“I received the news about the fire when I was in the US. Accept my sincere comfort with hope to restore the lab and offices. I urge the responsible authorities to minimize bureaucracy in supporting the repair or reconstruction of the damaged rooms,” Mr Kikwete said on Friday.
The retired fourth Union President made the statement after a debriefing to him as his delegation toured the proposed site for the construction of a temporary lab for students resuming studies after the fire incident in October this year.
Mr Kikwete said that he would not like to see delays in construction of temporary labs and the renovation taking too long. He wants to see students continue to be trained theoretically and practically. The former president commended the Zanzibar Fire and Rescue Brigade, the Police Force and the Zanzibar Disaster Management Commission for a quick and successful response to the fire.
Urban District Commissioner (DC), Mr Rashid Simai Msaraka, said the renovation of the IMS in the Stone Town complies with the heritage and conservation requirements,
“Experts from the UDSM and Stone Town have toured the area to ensure conditions set by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are observed in construction,” he said.
In addition, Mr Msaraka said that he admires to see IMS construct an aquarium (a transparent tank of water in which live fish and other water creatures and plants are kept) that will attract tourists.
“We need to promote tourism industry and the blue economy in Zanzibar,” he said.
The Fire and Rescue Commissioner, Mr Rashid Mzee Abdalla said fire started to spread to the roof area but his team worked hard to control it so that it did not spread to other areas.
Giving a brief report of the fire accident in Buyu, IMS Director, Dr Margareth Serapio Kyewalyanga, said the accident left three laboratory rooms damaged and all equipment was burnt and the rest can no longer be used.
She noted that the university conducted a preliminary assessment of the damage, such as laboratory equipment, chemicals, ICT and other materials and it amounted to be more than 1.71bn/-. She said the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has already approved money for the construction of a temporary lab at Buyu and the work is expected to take two months.
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