THE government will always honour the late former Speaker Job Ndugai’s contributions and marked integrity demonstrated throughout his public service career.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa made this pledge yesterday, leading funeral proceedings for the late top legislator at Madubwa village, Sejeli ward in his native Kongwa District.

Addressing the mourners, he said that the government will 

He said that losing him at the moment is a heavy blow to the nation, as his leadership and sense of authority reaffirmed dignity in parliamentary conduct, strengthening its relations with higher levels of government.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was expected to attend the funeral but was unable o due to official duties, he said, stressing the late Ndugai’s contributions. “As the representative of the people of Kongwa, he undertook numerous development initiatives, many of which we heard about yesterday. We witnessed his tireless efforts, both in his constituency and at the national level,” he explained.

He described Ndugai as a professional, honest and hard-working leader who successfully bridged parliamentary duties and concerns with government expectations, enabling smooth legislative processes and implementation development plans, he stated.

Dr Doto Biteko, the deputy premier and Energy minister also acknowledged his pivotal role in the work of the legislature, while Speaker Dr. Tulia Ackson pledged honouring his legacy through legislative action.

Job Yustino Ndugai was born on January 21, 1963 in Laikala village, Sagara ward in Kongwa District, while from 1971 to 1977 he attended Mahambe primary school in Ikungi, Singida Region. 

From 1978 to 1981, he obtained secondary education at Kibaha Secondary School in Coast Region, attending advanced secondary school at Old Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region, 1982-1984.

In 1988, he joined Mweka Wildlife Management College for a certificate course earned two years later. From 1990 to1993 he studied for a bachelor’s degree in ecology at the University of Dar es Salaam.

In 1995 /1996, he pursued further studies at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences for a master’s degree in natural resource management and sustainable agriculture. Later in 2009, he obtained a business leadership degree in a dual arrangement between the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands and its alter ego, the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI) in Arusha.

He similarly attended short courses in areas such as gender, development planning, protected area management and poverty alleviation, a profile delivered at the proceedings indicated.

He was an assistant wildlife officer in 1988/1989, project manager for the Eastern Selous Conservation Area 1993/1994, and director of the Serengeti Conservation Project, 1997 to 2000.

He was elected MP for Kongwa in 2000 and served for 25 years, during which he also served as the Natural Resources and Environment standing committee deputy chairman, and later its chairman.

In 2006 and 2007, he led a special committee that revised the parliamentary standing orders, ushering in a number of changes, from which he rose to deputy speaker in the new legislature in        2010. After parliamentary renewal in 2015, he was nominated by the ruling party for the post of speaker, a post he held until mid-2022 when he opted to resign.

The late legislator also served in various boards including the Tanzania Wildlife Protection Fund, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, the senate of the University of Dodoma, and the Africa Region Investment Board of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).