Dodoma. The government has connected electricity to more than 3,000 rural-based institutions and facilities using funds allocated under the Covid-19 recovery package, the deputy minister for Energy, Judith Kapinga, said here on April 22, 2025.
Speaking in Parliament, Ms Kapinga said the connections covered institutions in education, health, religion, mining as well as water wells.
She said the electrification was part of the broader Rural Electrification Expansion Programme (REEP), which aims to enhance access to electricity across the country.
The Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) was also continuing to connect more citizens through various electricity projects.
Responding to a question from Tarime Rural MP Mwita Waitara, regarding the timeline for electrifying all sub-villages in Tarime District, Ms Kapinga said 82 sub-villages in Tarime District, Mara Region, that were yet to be connected to electricity would be reached under Phase II B of the Hamlet Electrification Project (HEP IIB).
She said the government had already floated tenders for the project, and contractor selection was at an advanced stage.
“Tarime rural constituency has a total of 500 sub-villages. So far, 225 sub-villages have access to electricity, and work is ongoing in 52 others where contractors are already on the ground. The remaining 82 are scheduled under HEP IIB, while 141 will be reached through subsequent projects,” she said.
The government is implementing a nationwide electrification drive targeting all 64,000-plus hamlets across the country.
As of early this year, more than 33,000 had been connected, with the rest set to benefit from the ongoing densification programme.
Under the 2023/24 financial year, the government commenced a five-to-ten-year initiative to electrify 20,000 hamlets, while plans are also underway to connect at least 9,000 more in the 2025/26 fiscal year.
