Africa-Press – Tanzania. CCM presidential candidate Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan has pledged to accelerate Kagera Region’s transformation by expanding access to health, education, electricity and water services, alongside upgrading key transport and trade infrastructure.
Addressing thousands of residents at Kaitaba Stadium in Bukoba Municipality yesterday, Dr Samia said the CCM government has made significant progress in improving social services and people’s livelihoods and will continue to build on that foundation in the next five years, if re-elected on October 29th General Election.
She recalled that during her 2022 visit to Kagera as President, she instructed regional leaders to prepare an action plan to raise the region’s economy and reduce poverty.
“They prepared that plan and today we are implementing it,” she said. Dr Samia said her government has strengthened the health sector and will keep ensuring that every citizen receives care close to home.
“The number of patients treated at the regional referral hospital has risen from 128,305 in 2021 to 478,002 in 2025. These are people who would, otherwise, have travelled to Bugando or Muhimbili, but they are now treated here in Kagera,” she said.
She said the coming administration will focus on improving quality of care in line with ongoing investments, adding that implementation of Universal Health Insurance will ensure citizens get treatment without financial hardship.
“Health insurance will end cases where families fail to collect the bodies of their loved ones because of unpaid bills. Within 100 days of being re-elected, we will hire 5,000 health workers and deploy them across the country,” she told the cheering crowd.
On education, Dr Samia said the government will continue with the free-education policy and invest further in technical and vocational training.
“In Kagera we have built three technical secondary schools, a girls’ science school and five VETA colleges. Construction of the University of Dar es Salaam campus here has reached 78 per cent and we plan to add dormitories, including for island schools,” she said.
She said the government has also fulfilled its promise to bring electricity to every village and will finish connecting all remaining hamlets by 2030.
The region has four strategic hydropower projects Rusumo, Ngara, Namurongo and KikagatiKyerwa, generating a combined 221.8 megawatts.
“We will also build new power-receiving and cooling stations so that supply interruptions occur only during maintenance,” she said.
On fisheries, Dr Samia said her next government will continue empowering fishers with training, equipment and loans and will roll out fish-farming projects through the Building Better Tomorrow (BBT) programme to address declining catches in Lake Victoria.
She said small-scale traders will benefit from the construction of a 10bn/- Machinga Complex at Kishenye to provide safe, organised business spaces.
“This facility will create jobs and strengthen the local economy,” she said.
Dr Samia also urged coffee farmers to increase production to help councils collect more revenue for the 10 per cent economicempowerment fund that supports youth, women and people with disabilities.
On infrastructure, she said her government will continue with the Lusahunga–Rusumo (92 km) road, build the Kajai–Buyango and Mtukula urban roads and strengthen Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA) to keep rural roads passable throughout the year.
She added that the Bukoba Port has undergone major rehabilitation, including repairs on three berths and construction of a new passenger terminal to serve modern vessels such as MV Mwanza, which has already started operations.
Dr Samia said plans are also underway to construct a new Kagera Regional Airport at Kyabajwa, capable of handling aircraft carrying 180 to 220 passengers and to complete embankment works along Kanoni River to address flooding.
Bukoba Urban parliamentary candidate Engineer Johnson Mutasingwa praised the president for her delivery-oriented leadership.
“We believe you will continue implementing the remaining priorities outlined in the 2025/2030 CCM Manifesto,” he said.
Bukoba Rural candidate Jasson Rweikiza said the government under Dr Samia has built 21 schools, connected all villages to electricity, developed Kemondo Port and launched the MV Mwanza ship to improve transport.
“We only ask that the Kemondo water project, which started long ago, be completed,” he said.
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