Two men behind newly launched Tanzania’s State House structures

History has been written. The new Highest Office in Chamwino has been launched.

Behind the multi-billion project, there are two men to remember. Who are they?

The late Tanzania’s former Presidents namely Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Dr John Magufuli’s names will remain immortal in the East African state, thanks to their immense contributions in the newly launched state-of-the-art Chamwino State House in Dodoma.

Though Mwalimu Nyerere and Dr Magufuli ruled Tanzania in two different phases with the former leading from 1961 to 1985 and the latter 2015-2021, the history of Dodoma Capital City brings them in the same page of the book of history.

This is the reason why President Samia Suluhu Hassan honoured the duo at the inauguration ceremony of the new Ikulu structures on Saturday, May 20, 2023.

Presenting recognition awards to Nyerere and Dr Magufuli which were received received by widowed Maria Nyerere and Janeth Magufuli respectively, President Samia said Tanzania’s founding father had a vision of shifting the State House to Dodoma, which was later turned into actuality by the fifth phase President.

The plan to make Dodoma the Government’s seat was hatched by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere in 1973 and in April 2021.

The Late President, John Magufuli announced an immediate shift of all governmental offices to the capital and launched the ‘government city’ at Mtumba, some 30 kilometres from Dodoma City Centre saying he was ready to shift to the new capital.

In these contexts, President Samia admitted publicly that it wasn’t a simple task to have a new morden office at the central part of the country.

“Each phase that came into power had to deal with this work. This is one of the projects that I inherited from John Magufuli. The first project was the Tanzanite Bridge, this is the second and by God’s grace I will complete them all,” she stated.

“The inauguration we are witnessing today is an official sign and confirmation of the completion of the government’s ambition to make Dodoma the capital of the United Republic of Tanzania for those who had doubts about the fulfillment of this activity of settling Dodoma now there are no doubts,” President Samia said.

She added; “We’re here to stay, we’re in Dodoma. We shall only go to Dar es Salaam to receive our international guests and to do activities that must be done in Dar es Salaam but when we finish the construction of Msalato and our houses in the second phase even international guests will be received from here. So we are gradually leaving Dar es Salaam to become a business city.”

Giving information on the project earlier, the Tanzania Building Agency (TBA), Chief Executive Arch. Daud W. Kondoro said the construction of the State House has been in collaboration with the Suma JKT and that hundred percent of the construction was done by wananchi while the Dar es Salaam State House was constructed in the colonial era.

The event was well-attended by senior public officials, retired leaders, celebrities, wananchi and journalists.

How the project started

In May, 2020, then President John Magufuli led his predecessors in laying a foundation stone for the construction of the office and administration blocks of the State House at Chamwino in the capital city.

The task was carried out by the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) National Service wing. It was locally funded.

Mama Maria Nyerere, widow of Founder President Julius Nyerere, represented the founding Father of the Nation, the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere at the ceremonial event, by cutting the ribbon and mixing concrete, symbolising the official beginning of construction work of the envisaged spectacular structure.

Second phase President Ali Hassan Mwinyi, the third phase President Benjamin Mkapa and the fourth phase leader Jakaya Kikwete held spades as they joined President Magufuli in laying down the foundation stone.

At the event, the fifth Phase President Magufuli said the 8,473 acres or 34km square piece of the land is 16 times larger than the size of Saanane Island National Park in Mwanza Region.