Construction of the modern abattoir in Dar es Salaam remains a nightmare

THE long awaited plans by Ilala Municipal Council of building a modern abattoir which it had promised immediately when the council was established way back in March 2000 seems to have hit a snag. Reports made available by the management of the newly formed municipal council at the time of its establishment, had projected among its future economic development plans to quicken the process of building the abattoir in order to ease the supply of meat in the city of Dar es Salaam. The building was initially planned to be constructed near Kiltex industrial premises site along the road to Pugu Auction market at Gongo La Mboto on the city’s outskirts, and would require huge investment of money on its completion. The building’s costs were earlier estimated to be approximately Tsh. 7.4 billion due to special equipment and modern facilities which has to be installed such as cold rooms, slaughtering and skinning machines as well as separation changing room for workers. The Guardian on Sunday has of recent made a follow up on the project to see of its implementation as per the program set since it was announced over a decade ago, but virtually discovered that the whole plan has been put out of the budget due to financial squeeze. When contacted for comments, the Director of Ilala Municipal Council, Gabriel Fuime said in an exclusive interview in his office early this week that, his council is now looking for a strategic investor who would build the abattoir as his council is no longer able to afford the highly expensive costs for a modern abattoir. He said his office has set aside special areas which have been designed for the allocation of the abattoir for such an investment. He named the areas as Kitunda, Chanika and anywhere else within Ilala district which could be more convenient for the allocation of such a modern facility. Taking the issue from that point of view, an investigative piece by this paper can reveal that, the faltering project has to some extent affected business operations of meat traders in the city who had been in need of a modern abattoir, but might have retained their expectations on the issue in regard to it as a promise is a debt. In an interview with this paper, a meat trader Eliakim Sagara, a Dodoma resident running with a business of butchery in Temeke district, in Dar es Salaam region noted that, he wonders as to why the city of Dar es Salaam still depends on poorly constructed abattoirs with dilapidated slaughter houses which were constructed way back in mid 1960s. However, he said adding that moreover the four operating abattoirs in the city of Dar es Salaam do not meet the modern standards necessary to cope with the needs of the vastness of the city suburbs. Hopefully according to his imagination, the newly constructed abattoir would provide the city’s residents with safe and clean meat products. The Chairman of the Union of meat sellers in Dar es Salaam, popularly known by its Kiswahili acronym ‘UWANJU’ Mr. Clement Malijo said that, it’s high time to have a modern facility for a slaughter house in the city of Dar es Salaam bearing the fact that it is the centre of the country’s business with many foreign dignitaries of various levels. Currently Tanzania has one modern abattoir in Arusha city which was built in collaboration with the British government in mid 1990s. In Dar es Salaam, other city's abattoirs which are privately owned are located in areas of Kimara, Mbagala and Tegeta suburb. The only abattoir owned by the government is the one located at Vingunguti suburb.