CHAMA Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) leaders left Dar es Salaam by rail on Friday for Kigoma Region to attend 36 years of CCM celebrations.

The leaders include the CCM's Secretary General, Mr Abdulrahman Kinana, NEC Secretary - Politics and International Relations, Dr Asha-Rose Migiro, CCM Ideology and Publicity Secretary, Mr Nape Nnauye and Mohammed Seif Khatibu.

"We decided to travel by train to support government efforts of renewing railway operations from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma through the central line," said Mr Kinana. The celebrations to mark the birthday of the ruling party (CCM) will be held at Lake Tanganyika grounds in Kigoma Region and will reach climax on 2nd February, this year.

Mr Kinana congratulated the good work carried out by Tanzania Railway Company workers to restore the railway line and its locomotives and wagons. "Railway is the cheapest means of transport compared to travelling by road," he added.

The delegation which embarked on their journey yesterday at around 2:30pm included the Mayor of Kinondoni Municipality, Mr Yusuph Mwenda and the Chairman of CCM in Dar es Salaam Region, Mr Ramadhan Madabida.

Recently, Mr Kinana told the journalists that the CCM Chairman, President Jakaya Kikwete and other leaders are expected to be at the CCM celebrations. Other dignitaries expected include the Vice-Chairman of CCM and President of Zanzibar, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein and Vice- Chairman of CCM (Mainland), Mr Philip Mangula.