Dar es Salaam. Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba has ordered the dismissal and prosecution of the former Chief Executive Officer of the Tanzania Electrical, Mechanical and Electronics Services Agency (TEMESA), together with members of its management team, over the alleged embezzlement of more than Sh2.5 billion.
The Prime Minister also instructed the Minister for Works, Abdallah Ulega, to institute a comprehensive investigation into the condition of all government-owned ferries to establish the causes of their frequent breakdowns, amid reports that some vessels may have been deliberately damaged to enable individuals to benefit financially from repeated repair works.
Dr Nchemba said the decision followed the findings of a special commission that had been formed to investigate allegations of misuse of public funds at the agency.
He directed relevant authorities to take legal action against those implicated.
“Those responsible must be held to account. This culture of disrespect for public funds and lack of concern for Tanzanians must come to an end,” the Prime Minister said.
He issued the directive on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, while addressing Dar es Salaam regional leaders and residents of Kigamboni during an inspection visit to assess service delivery at the Magogoni ferry crossing in the city.
Dr Nchemba said the alleged embezzlement was tantamount to officials treating public ferries as their personal property while also siphoning off fare revenues paid by citizens.
He said such practices had angered President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who had directed that they be decisively addressed to ensure reliable and quality services for the public.
The Prime Minister further instructed the Minister for Works to liaise with the Ministry of Finance to ensure the timely disbursement of funds for ferry rehabilitation, so that repair works could be completed without delay and services fully restored.
The government owns three ferries serving the Kivukoni–Kigamboni route, but only one is currently operational.
Providing an update, TEMESA Acting Chief Executive Officer Moses Mabamba said the government has three ferries serving Kivukoni and Kigamboni, of which only MV Kazi is currently in operation.
He said MV Magogoni has been undergoing repairs in Mombasa since 2023.
Mr Mabamba said the rehabilitation works, estimated to cost about Sh7.5 billion, have reached 70 per cent completion, while another vessel, MV Kigamboni, is under repair at Songoro Marine in Kigamboni.
He said before the ferries broke down, daily revenue collections stood at around Sh20 million, but have since fallen to between Sh3.61 million and Sh4 million.
Meanwhile, Bakhresa Group Director for Public Relations and Communications, Hussein Sufian, said the company, which has entered into a public-private partnership with the government to provide ferry services, began operations earlier this year after government ferries developed technical faults.
He said the company initially deployed four ferries and has since increased the number to eight, each with a capacity of 200 passengers.
Mr Sufian said daily passenger numbers have risen from about 20,000 to between 50,000 and 100,000, prompting plans to introduce an additional ferry to meet growing demand.
The ferries, he added, take between five and ten minutes per crossing, depending on sea conditions.
