Mtwara — RESIDENTS of Nanyumbu District Mtwara region have expressed happiness over construction of the first ever tarmac road in their Mangaka town.
"This is the first tarmac road we are having in our town, before we used to walk through dusty and muddy road," said one Saimon Henry a 'bodaboda' rider in Nanyumbu District.
Another resident Rashid Musa said it's his first time to set foot on a tarmac in the area as he highly thanked the government for constructing 1.8 kilometre road that links public facilities as well as access to the town.
The residents also expressed joy over installation of street lights along the road which they said have improved pedestrian security.
"We are very grateful for having this tarmac road as well as street lights along the important road, the assets (lights and road) are very crucial in economic development," said Rashid.
The Manager of Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA) in Nanyumbu District Engineer Hussein Mwombeki said the road was constructed in 2021/2022 financial year.
"Mangaka town has never had an inch of a tarmac road since the establishment of the town, this road is the first one since the establishment of the district in 2007," he said adding that agency has installed 40 street lights for security purposes.
Eng Mwombeki said in the 2012/22 financial year the government increased the development budget for works subector in Nanyumbu to 2.4bn/- , a move that enabled the agency among others construction of the 1.8 tarmac road in town.
He said the money include 780m/- fuel levy and 500m/- constituency fund. "We thank the government for increasing the development budget and this has enabled us set and carry on various works in the town as well as in the villages," he said.
He named other works developed as the construction of 10 bridges including two drifts in various villages of Nanyumbu district. The works was constructed using 500m/- constituency fund.
In another development, Eng Mwombeki said the agency is set to construct another one kilometer road in the town in the 2022/2023 financial year. He said the agency has also acquired the contractor to carry on the work.
