Dodoma becomes newest city

DAILY NEWS Reporters

….President Magufuli’s elevation from municipal status places it on a par with Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Tanga, Mbeya and Mwanza.

PRESIDENT John Magufuli yesterday elevated capital-designate Dodoma, hitherto a municipality, to city status with immediate effect. The move was one of the highlights of an address by the Head of State, at the climax of the 54th Union Day anniversary.

Dodoma becomes the newest city in the country, joining the league whose earlier entrants are Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Tanga, Mbeya and Mwanza. At the ceremony witnessed by several people and relayed to similarly several others elsewhere via electronic media outlets, the President’s upgrading of the urban centre climaxed months of regional authorities’ aspirations to raise the bar of the town. “I just came by flight to Dodoma. I have seen how the town has been built ... there are lots of structures, this is indeed a country’s capital,” he said.

He remarked further: “I had to review how many municipalities we had. But more importantly, on what powers I have regarding this matter. I noted that Arusha is a city, Tanga, Dar es Salaam and Mbeya too. So now I am declaring that from today Dodoma will be named a city.” The President subsequently promoted the Municipal Executive Director, Mr Godwin Kunambi, to the City Director.

He directed government authorities to fast track the legislation requirements to legalise the presidential order. Observers say the decision by the President wasn’t new in the global context. In UK, the power to promote a town to city status is under the monarch.

Most people think they know what a city is - a large, densely-populated, distinct urban area. In fact, it does not need all such requirement. A BBC report says Dundee, which has 143,000 residents, became a city in 1889.

And St Davids is the UK’s smallest city with 1,600 inhabitants, having earned its honour in 1995. Some elements that are also considered for the area to gain a city status include security, transport facilities, social services, skilled workforce and current economic climate. Dodoma Regional Commissioner Dr Binilith Mahenge says the President had already released over 70 bn/- to give a facelift of the city.

The “fund is for the construction of a modern bus terminal, ring roads, market and a shopping centre,” he said, adding that construction was planned to start next month and was scheduled to take 28 months.

Shortly after his appointment as City Director Mr Kunambi thanked the President and pledged to discharge his duties to the best of his abilities and wouldn’t disappoint anyone. Mr Kunambi said he would review the Municipal Master Plan of 1976 to fit the City status.

President Magufuli said he would meet African Development Bank President Dr Akinwumi Adesina and hoped to get more funds from the financial institution to develop the new city.

Meanwhile, experts have hailed the President’s decision but emphasized on effective application of its 1976 Master Plan to give the region a real face of a city.

Town planners commented that they expected to see the authorities go back to the document and implement what it contained to develop Dodoma into city status. Mr Willy Kilonka, Chief Officer of the Urban Solutions Ltd, said he was sure that the President pronounced Dodoma as a city after meeting the criteria.

Mr Kilonka said it was good that Dodoma already had its master plan which explains what facilities should be in place to make it incorporate national interests as the capital city.

“The master plan should be followed in order to achieve physical make ups of making it a city,” he said when speaking with the ‘Daily News’. His views were echoed by Mr Nashon Sikule, a town planner working with Ardhi Streamline Co Ltd, who said the Dodoma master plan was ideal for making it befit the city status.

“I think the document needs only some little changes and then be applied… I remember it even proposed construction of canals within Dodoma so that people travel on waters instead of roads…,” Mr Sikule advised.