Author: HILDA MHAGAMA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: IT was all smiles for Matuli villagers in Morogoro District Council after Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) decided to renovate their road as part of corporate social responsibility.
The 70.54km road has not been renovated for 15 years, but thanks to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Project the villagers of Kidunda, Mkulazi, Chinyumbu and Matuli will benefit from road renovation.
TRC Communications Manager Jamila Mbarouk said the corporation had decided to renovate the road to support surrounding communities in areas that SGR passed as they were the custodians of railway infrastructure.
A representative of Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (Tarura) Manager for Morogoro District Council Gebo Mlangwa said the government through the development fund was constructing first a 10km stretch of road at gravel level at 187.9m/-.
“We are grateful for the efforts made by Morogoro South-East MP Hamis Taletale and TRC for support. We will be able to complete the remaining 60.54km soon,” he said.
Mr Mlangwa said they had recently asked TRC to help them renovate more than 300 small bridges in Morogoro District.
The villagers reported that the road had resulted in the deaths of pregnant women, their relatives and children born before they arrived to hospital.
One of the villagers, Mr Fadhili Mfaume, said during the rainy season the road was hardly passable so he thanked TRC and the MP for their intervention.
“We were disappointed because it is a challenge that has been around for a long time. We are not progressing because we do not have roads. We are the producers of many crops, but because of bad roads we haven’t benefited much from our efforts,” he said.
Another villager, Ms Jesca Wakishaichi, said due to transport challenges they had resorted to use midwives to help pregnant women give birth.
Morogoro South East MP Hamisi Taletale thanked TRC for agreeing to renovate the road as it would help the people of many areas to have access to social services.
The CCM 2020/25 manifesto highlights plans to improve trade, strengthen construction and transportation sectors and improvement of communication by creating a friendly environment for innovation and technological advancement.
