TANZANIA: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has dissolved the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) Board of Directors while appointing Dr Rhimo Nyasaho to serve as the new Chairperson of the board.

According to a statement released by the Directorate of Presidential Communication Unit yesterday, the dissolution of the board follows an appointment of TANESCO Board Chair Ambassador Major General Paul Kisesa Simuli as Tanzanian High Commissioner to Uganda effective from December 18 this year.

To fill the vacuum left, according to the statement, President Samia appointed Dr Nyasaho as the new Chairperson of the board.

Dr Nyansao is the Director of Business Development at the Azania Bank and his appointment starts with immediate effect.

The outgoing Chairperson, Amb Major General Simuli was appointed as TANESCO's Board Chairperson on 23 September 2023 during the reshuffles of the company top leaders which included the by then Managing Director, Eng Maharage Chande who was replaced by the incumbent, Eng Gissima Nyamo-Hanga.

The current TANESCO's Managing Director, Eng Hanga was formerly the Executive Director of the Rural Energy Agency (REA).

The reshuffles of the TANESCO's top leaders were followed by the iconic oath ceremony whereby President Samia issued a six months ultimatum to the newly Managing Director, Eng Hanga for mitigating electricity rationing in the country.

"I know you can do it. I give you six months; the first task is to supervise repair of all machines for generation of electricity to address power shortage," Dr Samia said.

"After six months I don't want to see the electricity crisis anymore" she stressed.

Dr Samia said frequent electricity cuts in the country is due to many years of operation of TANESCO's machines without repair, saying currently the government is renovating the machines.

"When we are repairing, the machines are switched off resulting in a decrease in the amount of power generated countrywide," she said.