Morogoro — TANZANIA's electricity sector recorded several milestones during President Samia Suluhu Hassan's first year in her second term, including expanded rural electrification, increased generation capacity, progress in transmission projects and solar power initiatives for remote communities.
Between November 3, 2025, and November 2, 2026, the government continued efforts to make electricity more accessible, reliable and affordable, particularly in rural areas.
However, despite electricity reaching every village in Mainland Tanzania, thousands of hamlets remain unconnected, while household connection costs continue to limit access. Rural Energy Agency (REA) Director General Engineer Hassan Saidy said the agency had connected 3,532 hamlets during the 12 months preceding March 2026, equivalent to an average of about ten daily.
Speaking at REA's Workers' Council in Morogoro on March 12, 2026, he said the agency had also completed approximately three electricity distribution projects during the period.
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However, the reported 12 months included several months before President Samia's inauguration and should not be interpreted as achievements exclusively recorded during her first year in office.
A June 2026 government update showed that 40,182 of Mainland Tanzania's 64,359 hamlets had electricity, equivalent to 62.4 per cent, compared with 39,003 in December 2025.
The then Minister for Energy, now Vice-President Mr Deogratius Ndejembi said electricity had reached all 12,318 villages in Mainland Tanzania, making the extension of services to individual hamlets and households the next major challenge.
One significant intervention was the signing of 30 contracts worth 1.2tri/- on January 17, 2026, through REA to extend electricity infrastructure to 9,009 hamlets in 25 regions.
The three-year Hamlet Electrification Project Phase II B (HEP IIB) targets an initial 290,300 customers. It involves constructing 13,180 kilometres of medium-voltage lines and 14,016 kilometres of low-voltage lines, alongside installing transformers.
The contracts were awarded to 17 companies, with 21 project lots allocated to locally owned contractors and nine to foreign companies registered in Tanzania.
However, the 9,009 hamlets remain project targets rather than completed connections. In its April 2026 budget presentation, the Ministry of Energy reported that contractors were undertaking detailed designs before starting major construction works.
The government was also implementing Hamlet Electrification Project Phase II A (HEP IIA), targeting 3,060 hamlets in 204 constituencies.
By April 2026, implementation had reached 80 per cent. The project includes 528 kilometres of medium-voltage lines, 6,040 kilometres of lowvoltage lines, 3,056 transformers and an initial 100,704 customer connections. The ministry expects ongoing rural electrification projects to bring electricity to 50,453 hamlets, representing 78.4 per cent of all hamlets in Mainland Tanzania, by 2028.
Beyond distribution, the government continued expanding generation capacity to meet rising demand from households, businesses and industries. According to the Ministry of Energy's 2026/27 budget speech, installed generation capacity increased to 4,522.54 megawatts in March 2026 from 4,031.71 megawatts in March 2025, representing a 12.17 per cent rise.
The expansion included completion of the first phase of the Kishapu solar power project in Shinyanga, which added 50 megawatts to the national grid. Another major milestone was the commissioning of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) in August 2026.
Its nine generating units, each producing 235 megawatts, provide a combined installed capacity of 2,115 megawatts. Speaking during its inauguration on August 22, 2026, Mr Ndejembi said the additional capacity had strengthened the country's ability to meet electricity demand and created opportunities for regional power trade.
He reported that generation capacity had reached 4,646 megawatts against peak demand of 2,271 megawatts, leaving a surplus of 2,375 megawatts at the time. The government also advanced transmission infrastructure to ensure additional electricity could reach consumers.
In August 2026, Mr Ndejembi announced completion of the 400-kilovolt Chalinze-Dodoma transmission line, which strengthens supply to Dodoma and facilitates transmission of electricity generated at JNHPP.
Other ongoing projects include the Iringa-TundumaSumbawanga line, intended to connect Rukwa Region to the national grid, and the ChalinzeKinyerezi-Mkuranga line, which aims to improve supply to the Coast Region and industrial areas. For communities far from the national grid, the government has continued promoting solar energy as an alternative.
REA is implementing a Solar Home System programme targeting 20,000 households across 143 small islands in the Indian Ocean, Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. According to the ministry's April 2026 budget presentation, 1,302 households had received solar systems by March 2026.
On October 26, 2026, REA and a World Bank delegation visited Bezi Island in Mwanza Region to assess implementation. The project, being implemented in 120 islands, is valued at more than 8bn/-, with government subsidies covering between 55 and 75 per cent of solar system costs, depending on the package.
Residents said the initiative had improved their daily lives by providing lighting and creating opportunities for economic activities. Bezi Island resident Chiju Ramadhan said solar electricity had transformed conditions at night.
"Before, we faced many challenges in accessing electricity. When night came, darkness covered our island. But since REA started implementing this project, there have been major changes," she said.
Another resident, Pascal Patrick, said access to larger solar systems could help fishing communities preserve their catch and expand their businesses.
These interventions demonstrate how electricity can support refrigeration, fishing, education, small businesses and social services beyond household lighting. Nevertheless, extending infrastructure has not automatically translated into household connections.
TANESCO's December 2025 statistics showed that rural electricity access stood at 78.1 per cent, while the rural household connection rate was 37.1 per cent.
Nationally, access stood at 85.5 per cent, compared with a connection rate of 52.1 per cent. The difference highlights the gap between electricity being available in a community and individual households being connected.
REA Supervising Engineer for the Central Zone, Aneth Malingumu, said in July 2026 that household wiring costs remained a major obstacle, with many homes requiring between 200,000/- and 300,000/- for installation.
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To address this challenge, the Ministry of Energy reported in April 2026 that the government had started implementing the Universal Hamlet Electrification and Last Mile Customers Connectivity project in Coast, Morogoro and Dodoma regions under the National Energy Compact.
The initiative aims to extend electricity from existing infrastructure to individual households and businesses. The government has also emphasised accountability in project implementation.
In June 2026, Mr Ndejembi directed REA to stop awarding new contracts to poorly performing contractors, insisting that projects must meet agreed standards and completion schedules.
As President Samia completes her first year in the second term, the electricity sector has recorded progress in generation, transmission, rural electrification and alternative energy solutions.
However, with 40,182 of 64,359 hamlets connected by June 2026, another 24,177 remained without electricity at that reporting point.
Achieving universal access will require timely completion of ongoing projects, effective contractor supervision, affordable household connections and continued investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Ultimately, the success of the electricity agenda will not be measured only by megawatts generated, kilometres of power lines constructed or contracts signed, but by the number of communities and households receiving reliable electricity and how effectively it improves livelihoods, supports businesses and strengthens essential public services.
