Africa-Press – Tanzania. DODOMA wore its brightest colours on Wednesday, vivid green and bold yellow, as Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) brought the capital city to life with the opening of its much-anticipated two-day Extraordinary General Meeting.
From dawn, the streets pulsed with political energy. A sea of party loyalists, draped in CCM’s iconic colours, streamed towards the Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre, turning the usually subdued Central Business District into a vibrant stage for one of the party’s most significant gatherings in recent history.
Everywhere you looked, the colours of CCM fluttered in the breeze, from flags on street poles to banners arching over roads, all echoing the campaign rallying cry: “Kazi na Utu, Tunasonga Mbele” (Work and Dignity, We Move Forward).
Even the city’s public transport joined in, green-painted buses emblazoned with “Kazi Iendelee” (Let the Work Continue) zigzagged through the streets, ferrying enthusiastic delegates and supporters from all corners of the country.
Local businesses welcomed the surge. In the days leading up to the meeting, hotels, guesthouses and eateries brimmed with guests. “Accommodation was fully booked days before the meeting,” said one hotel operator, who noted that many party organisers had settled bills a week in advance.
The crowd’s excitement peaked in the afternoon when President Samia Suluhu Hassan officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for the party’s future national headquarters at Tambukareli, just a stone’s throw from the convention centre.
Renderings of the upcoming ultra-modern complex revealed a gleaming vision: a 500-seat auditorium, a 150-capacity meeting hall, executive offices, a helipad, a spacious car park and a sleek restaurant. The foundation stone, President Samia declared, marked both a literal and symbolic building block for CCM’s future.
“This structure is more than concrete and steel, it is a statement of purpose,” one party member said, holding up a miniature flag as construction equipment loomed in the background.
The Extraordinary General Meeting, which officially opens today, will see over 2,000 delegates and about 700 invited guests in attendance. Top on the agenda is the endorsement of the 2025–2030 CCM Election Manifesto, as well as review reports on the current manifesto’s implementation from both the Union and Zanzibar governments. Delegates will also deliberate on minor constitutional amendments.
“This is a defining moment,” said CCM Ideology and Publicity Secretary Mr Amos Makalla during a press briefing. “It’s the most significant and well-organised meeting in our party’s history.”
But it wasn’t just politics in the air, there was business, too. A spot survey by the ‘Daily News’ revealed that residents and traders alike viewed the event as a timely economic boost.
“This meeting is a blessing,” said Ms Asha Ismail, a local trader and long-time party cadre. “My business has tripled in the last two days.”
Mr Jawadu Mohammed, CCM’s Regional Publicity and Ideology Secretary, agreed. “This event goes beyond politics. It brings money into people’s pockets. We prepared extensively and now it’s paying off.”
Among the many entrepreneurs benefitting was Ms Rhoda Bernard of the Imarisha Uchumi na Mama Samia (IMASA) platform. “For women-led businesses like ours, this is an unmatched opportunity to showcase and sell our products,” she said, arranging handcrafted wares beneath a CCM canopy.
To maintain order, the city was under heightened security. Police officers patrolled key intersections and traffic police worked tirelessly to keep the roads clear, guiding the long streams of vehicles and shuttle buses that painted Dodoma’s roads in green.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the city glowed with more than just lights. It radiated purpose, unity and a shared vision, captured perfectly in the green and yellow spectacle that had swept across Dodoma. With drums echoing, chants rising and flags waving, it was clear: CCM wasn’t just holding a meeting, it was declaring the dawn of a new chapter.
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