JK promises descent staff quarters for TPDF soldiers

President Jakaya Kikwete has said that his government is planning to upgrade the living standards of the unmarried soldiers of Tanzania People’s Defense Forces (TPDF) who stays in single quarters and build modern and decent houses for them. Kikwete made the call on Saturday last week in Dar es Salaam at a function whereby he inaugurated 50 newly erected storey buildings for TPDF staff at Gongo La Mbotto on the outskirts of the city. The function was also attended by Commander of Defense Forces General Davis Mwamunyange, Minister for Defense Dr. Hussein Mwinyi and Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Sadiq Meck Sadiq among the dignitaries. These are among 6,064 projected residential houses for TPDF officers’ staff quarters to be constructed countrywide as part of the government’s plans to relocate all soldiers who stay in civilian residential houses and move them into their special military camps. The 50 storey buildings which were handed over to TPDF yesterday have been constructed by a Chinese based Construction Company, Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) and in total will be occupied by 400 households. Each house is designed to be occupied by eight families in a self-contained compartment which is consisting of seven rooms in total, three of which are bed rooms including a master bed room. Other rooms are the sitting room, bathroom, washroom and a kitchen room. In his speech, Kikwete thanked the constructing company on time completion of the project and at the same time, passed a word of caution to military soldiers to keep clean the surroundings bearing in mind the fact that, the houses are of the modern magnificent scale. 

Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete gestures while addressing a public rally

Elaborating about the implementation of TPDF staff house project which currently is underway in nine regions in the country, the Minister for Defense Dr. Mwinyi said that, about 1,160 houses have been completed and are already handed over TPDF in Dar es Salaam region. He said other 1,128 houses are also finished and these are expected to be handed over to TPDF end of this month. Either he noted that, a total of 840 houses currently in construction in Coast region are nearing completion by mid this year. He also noted that, the construction of the 320 houses will take place in Pemba Island and that the Zanzibar President and the Chairman of the Revolutionary Council Dr. Mohammed Shein laid a foundation stone last week to signify the commencement as part of the 51^st anniversary celebration of the Revolution of Zanzibar. Either he affirmed that, the construction of TPDF staff houses is going on Morogoro (304) Tanga (128) Dodoma (376) and in Arusha are (552) houses is going well and is expected to be completed end of this year. On his part, the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) General Davis Mewamunyange thanked the government for being dedicated to solve various problems facing the TPDF including the new working tools for the army which will enable facilitates the TPDF’s operations. Meanwhile, the TPDF project was signed by the government in a move to help solve the houses shortages for military officers. The project being implemented by a Chinese form intends to ensure that all military officers are housed in barracks by 2017 with the whole project expecting to cost $ 300 million whereby $ 285 million is funds from Exim Bank China while $ 15 million will b e provided by Tanzania government.