What changed
Tanzania’s Works Minister Masanja Kadogosa removed Fredrick Mande as acting TANROADS regional manager for Songwe after an October 15 night inspection found poor supervision of the 1,675-metre Forodha-OSBP-Tunduma road at the Tanzania-Zambia border.
The contractor has two weeks to finish the outstanding work. The project is valued at 6.8bn/-, with 4.4bn/- already paid, and Kadogosa plans to return within seven days to check whether construction has accelerated.
Why it matters
This turns a delayed road project into an immediate test of public oversight. More than 60 per cent of the contract value had reportedly been paid, yet construction had not kept pace. The minister’s response puts responsibility on both the contractor and the officials meant to supervise the work.
The decision also reaches beyond Tunduma. Kadogosa ordered all TANROADS regional managers to tighten supervision, transparency and accountability, with clearer boundaries between the project supervisor, contractor and government representative. In practical terms, the road is now a deadline with a named managerial consequence attached to it.
The next inspection will show whether the intervention changes the pace on site. The report does not establish whether the contractor can meet the two-week deadline.
Comments
No comments yet.