Tanzania dismissed 98 water engineers for shoddy work

By Polycarp Machira, DODOMA Tanzania

Deputy Minister for Water, Jumaa Aweso

AT least 98 water engineers in Tanzania have been sacked for shoddy work by the government, the Deputy Minister for Water, Jumaa Aweso disclosed.

He said most of them are those who either delayed or neglected village projects due to flimsy reasons including superstition.   

“It is strange to hear an engineer saying that there are evil forces that destroy ongoing water projects in some villages in the country” he said.

The deputy minister noted that the government is committed to ensure all villages in the country get access to clean and safe water.

He said the government has disbursed 119 Billion shillings for some 300 village water projects.

“The government has employed water experts in the ministry and other authorities; let them use their knowledge to help solve water woes in the country.” He said.

Earlier this year, the Deputy Minister ordered managers of the rural water authorities to work on challenges facing efficient supply of the precious liquid in rural communities, maintaining the decision is the government’s topmost priority.

Officiating a review meeting for the United Kingdom funded forth—phase payment held here, the Deputy Minister said although there has been some positive headways in implementing a number of water projects some councils had not been performing well.

“There is a need to undertake a special review to understand factors pushing councils to underperform,” he said.

“The board of directors must be ready to take actions should there be the problems as a result of reckless managers.”

The government established the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (RUWASA) strategically targeting to improve supervision of water projects as well as increase access and supply of water in rural communities. But the deputy minister noted that 153 water projects worth over 66bn/- had been struggling threatening to dent the image of the ministry.

Besides, Aweso said residents in rural communities are tasked to pay as high as 5,000/- per water unit while urban areas such as Dar es Salaam the price per unit is only 1,800/-.

“We want to achieve the ‘Big Results Now’ slogan. We therefore need all players to be active to ensure we deliver the government promises.” – The Guardian