The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Samuel Kamndaya
1 July 2009
Dodoma — Infrastructure Development minister Shukuru Kawambwa yesterday sought to tone down criticism by MPs over stalled roads projects in an apparent bid to secure an easy passage for his ministry's budget estimates today.
The minister has been under fire since the beginning of the current budget session over allegations his ministry is sidelining some constituencies in distributing development funds.
Some MPs had prepared to give the minister a rough time for allegedly neglecting development projects in their constituencies when he presents his 2009/10 Budget estimates.
But Dr Kawambwa seemed to have pre-empted the legislators' plot, and apparently regained their support yesterday after a speech he made on roads projects.
And just before the minister's statement, Speaker Samuel Sitta told the Parliament allegations that the Government had allocated funds for a road expansion project from the 2009/10 Budget before it was approved were not true.
The allegations were made two weeks ago by Nzega MP Lucas Selelii who accused the Government of undermining the Parliament by using unapproved budget funds for the expansion of the Chalinze-Segera Road.
Mr Sitta said funds for the project were provided for in the 2008/09 Budget, not 2009/10 Budget as claimed by the MP.
He said: "After going through a report by the minister, and according to the official Hansard reports, I am certain the money is not from the 2009/10 Budget." But the MP said yesterday he would pursue the issue today after the minister presented his budget estimates.
"Parliamentary standing orders prohibit MPs from arguing with the Speaker, so I had to respect that. But I am determined to prove myself after the presentation of the ministry's budget," he told The Citizen.
In his speech, Dr Kawambwa praised Mr Sitta for the "wisdom" he used to handle the MP's allegations before explaining the process to rank roads in the country.
He said roads were ranked into four categories, namely national, regional, district (collector or feeder), and street or village roads.
He explained that of the 25 regional roads that had been considered for promotion to become national roads, only 11 measuring 2,141.78 km met the requirements.
On district roads he said: "Mr Speaker, it was only 50 district roads that met the requirements for promotion into regional roads."
"This is done in accordance with the Roads Act No. 13 of 2007 and the Roads Management Regulations - GN No.21 of 2009," he explained.
Dr Kawambwa said the committee dealing with road ranking received proposals from all the regions requesting to have 252 roads with a total length of 12,708.32 km ranked accordingly.
Two roads, Nzega - Bukooba (Tabora) and Bukoba - Kagongwa (Shinyanga), measuring 66 km, were demoted from the rank of national roads to regional roads.
The minister told parliament that for a road to be promoted to a national road, it is required to be a link between two (neighbouring) regional headquarters.
A regional road can also be promoted to a national road if it links headquarters of one region to an important port/harbour outside the country.
And for a district road to be promoted to a regional road, it is required to be a link between headquarters of two districts or link a district headquarters to a national road, the minister explained.
Apparently, Dr Kawambwa was forced into explaining the process after fellow CCM MPs attacked him openly in parliament over alleged unfair distribution of funds for roads projects.
Mr John Magale Shibuda (Maswa-CCM), Suleiman Saddiq (Mvomero-CCM), Dr Mzeru Nibuka (Morogoro Urban-CM), Mr Elisa Mollel (Arumeru West-CCM) and Mr William Kusila (Bahi-CCM) are some of the MPs who have criticised the minister.
Mr Shibuda lashed out at the minister and other top Government officials, accusing them of giving priority to their constituencies in distributing development funds.
Last Tuesday, another CCM MP, Mr Juma Killimbah (Iramba West) lambasted some ministers over the same issue, saying they were "acting as though they do not understand they are serving the whole nation".
"Those [ministers] who feel they cannot serve the nation must resign and go back to be with their families, because they are not willing to serve this country," he said.
But Prime Minister Mizengo, reacting to the accusations during the Prime Minister's Question Time last week, said he had directed ministers who had been criticised by the MPs to prepare answers to all the queries.
He said: "I have talked to the ministers, they are preparing to answer every charge that was levelled against them in Parliament since the budget debates started this month."
However, the Prime Minister said most of the attacks were unwarranted and could be resolved through "simple consultations" between the Government and concerned MPs. "And we know that these (attacks) could just be pressure caused by the approaching General Election in 2010," he added.
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