KAMWELWE, MFUGALE SURVIVE JPM WRATH

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PRESIDENT John Magufuli on Monday issued a stark warning to Engineer Isack Kamwelwe and Engineer Patrick Mfugale, who would consider themselves lucky to have narrowly escaped the sack in the wake of a stuttering Kiegeya Bridge repair work.

The Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Eng Kamwelwe and the Chief Executive Officer of Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads), Eng Mfugale escaped by a whisker as the president made a last minute decision to give them a second chance.

However, Dr Magufuli, who was vividly angered by the performance of ministry and Tanroads with regards to the Kiegeya Bridge, suspended 12 engineers of Tanroads, who were responsible for maintenance of regional roads and bridges in Morogoro region for inefficiency.

The Head of State made the decision after visiting and inspecting the ongoing work to restore the bridge which connects Morogoro and central regions.

“I had planned to sack you (Mr Kamwelwe) from the office today because you didn’t do your job well. This should serve as a last warning to you,” Dr Magufuli told the minister, who had prayed for the president’s mercy, after admitting to being inefficient.

“And to Eng Mfugale, I’m also giving you the last warning, I have been commending you for your good work all the time, but for this, you have failed. I can’t let my people suffer because of you,” added the president.

He also issued a seven-day ultimatum for the engineers and those at the site to complete the work; otherwise they will be sacked from their positions.

“This shouldn’t happen again, I wanted to come and see the progress by myself, it is really disappointing,” he ordered.

The Kiegeya Bridge that links Morogoro and Dodoma region was destroyed on March 2, this year following heavy rains that pounded the region resulting in the disconnection of the two regions.

It also affected transportation of people and goods from Dar es Salaam to Lake Zone regions and neighboring countries of Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa visited the site where among other things he ordered removal of the Morogoro’s Tanroads regional manager Godwin Andalwisye for failing to undertake regular checks and maintenance of the road.

But to his surprise, the prime minister, who paid a second visit to the construction site last week, spotted Mr Andalwisye still in the area.

When asked why the regional manager was still at the site, Eng Mfugale informed the PM that Mr Andalwisye had already been removed from his position but his service was still needed because he was one of the few engineers with specialisation in bridge construction.

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