Africa-Press – Tanzania. CCM presidential candidate Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan has vowed to safeguard the legacy of the Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, by advancing his vision of unity, selfreliance and people-centred development.
Addressing a campaign rally yesterday at Mwenge Grounds in Butiama District, Dr Samia emphasised that Nyerere’s guiding principles freedom and unity, self-reliance and freedom with responsibility continue to serve as the ideological foundation of Tanzania’s nationhood and CCM’s policies.
“When we speak about the Father of the Nation, we cannot separate him from the philosophical and ideological principles that shaped our country,” she said. “All these are aimed at building a strong, self-reliant nation focused on improving people’s lives.”
She said Tanzania’s current development vision and the CCM manifestos continue to translate Nyerere’s ideals into modern realities, emphasising social well-being, economic empowerment and a strong, inclusive national economy.
Dr Samia highlighted several projects that reflect Nyerere’s long-term dreams, including the government’s relocation to Dodoma, the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project and the Same–Mwanga water project, which Nyerere initiated but could not complete.
“Mwalimu once aspired to build the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant, but circumstances did not allow it at the time. Today, that vision is being fulfilled,” she said.
She also mentioned other major undertakings such as the Mkomazi and Kidunda Dams, which are each 50 per cent complete, to boost water supply for communities in Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Pwani and Morogoro.
Dr Samia said these achievements demonstrate the government’s commitment to sustaining Nyerere’s dream of good governance and peoplecentred progress.
“Our role as the current generation is to interpret his ideas and principles in thecontext of today’s needs,” she said.
She reaffirmed CCM’s pledge to protect Tanzania’s peace, unity and the Union. She announced that her administration would advance the process of drafting a new constitution, as outlined in the party’s 2025–2030 manifesto.
“Various groups of citizens have expressed this desire over the years. The fourth phase government began the process and under the Sixth Phase, we will continue with the process,” she said.
Dr Samia said the CCM government would maintain its pace in extending social services, including health, water and education, to all remaining underserved areas.
She pledged to strengthen the Butiama Agricultural College to enhance farmers’ skills and productivity and announced that several key roads listed in the Mara regional manifesto will be constructed.
Markets and bus terminals, she said, are also part of the party’s broader economic empowerment strategy under the TACTIC project.
Earlier, Butiama parliamentary candidate Charles Mahera requested government support for the construction of a 38-kilometre tarmac road linking five wards to Serengeti and the development of a modern market and a bus stand.
Before the rally, Dr Samia laid a wreath at the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation, paying tribute to his enduring influence on Tanzania’s values and identity.
Later, addressing another campaign rally in Serengeti District, Dr Samia said the next five years will focus on strengthening health services, water supply and tourism infrastructure.
She announced plans to construct the Mugumu airstrip to enable tourists to land directly in the Serengeti, adding that every Tanzanian should have access to quality healthcare through modernised district hospitals.
“We will continue expanding water projects until every household has clean and safe water,” she said. Dr Samia called for unity and equality between men and women in national development, saying Tanzania’s progress depend on it.
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