PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has expressed profound sorrow following the deaths of TANESCO director general Boniface Nyamo-Hanga and his driver, Muhajiri Mohammed Haule in a road accident on April 13.

The two died in a collision near Nyatwali Ndabaka within the Serengeti conservation area in Bunda District, Mara Region.The CEO’s death a major blow to the nation, particularly in the energy sector, where the CEO served with distinction, she said. 

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Dr. Doto Biteko, TANESCO staff, and all those affected by this tragedy,” the message intoned.

The deputy premier echoed the president’s tone, describing Nyamo-Hanga as a hands-on leader who rarely stayed behind a desk. “Just a day earlier, he was in Dodoma attending board meetings on electricity access. He was a humble, selfless leader, dedicated to ensuring all Tanzanians had reliable power. His loss is immeasurable,” he said.

Ashebir Balcha, CEO of Ethiopian Electric Power, also paid tribute on X, describing Nyamo-Hanga as a visionary leader whose efforts significantly advanced Tanzania’s energy sector and regional trade through the Eastern Africa Power Pool. 

“His passing is a great loss to TANESCO and the entire EAPP community,” he said.

The board and management of Kampala International University in Tanzania (KIUT) described him as “a dedicated, visionary leader whose service reflected deep national commitment and professional excellence.”

SACP Pius Lutumo, the regional police commander the accident occurred at around 1:30am Saturday night, when the driver of the Toyota Land Cruiser (T.385 EHM) swerved to avoid a cyclist and collided head-on with a Scania truck (T.396 EHR) towing a trailer (T.833 ACD). 

Both Nyamo-Hanga (56), and his driver Haule (61), died at the scene. The truck driver fled and remains at large, he said.

Regional Commissioner Evans Mtambi and the company\s regional manager, Nickson Babu, conveyed their condolences, with the manager confirmomg that funeral arrangements were ongoing. The bodies were being preserved at the Bunda District Hospital, he said.

Nyamo-Hanga was appointed TANESCO Director General in September 2023, succeeding Maharage Chande, after previously leading the Tanzania Building Agency (TBA), where among other things he oversaw the construction of the new parliamentary chamber in Dodoma.

From 2008 to 2019, he held top positions at the Rural Energy Agency (REA), including technical support director and secretary to the board, before taking over as CEO

During 2014 and 2015, he chaired the local programme of activities (PoA) under the United Nations clean development mechanism (CDM), tasked with coordinating implementation of policy measure or goals that reduce carbon imprint.

CDM PoA participants under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) carbon finance programme, representing sellers from Tanzania, Egypt, Morocco, Brazil, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, the company said in a briefing.

From 2017 to 2020, he served on Tanzania’s national energy advisory platform and was appointed to the Fair Competition Tribunal in 2021 for a three-year term. In May 2022, he became a non-executive director at National Investments Plc (NICOL).

A registered engineer with the Engineers Registration Board (ERB), Nyamo-Hanga was affiliated with the Institute of Directors Tanzania (IoDT), the Tanzania Institute of Arbitrators (TiArb), the Tanzania Association of Accountants (TAA), the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) and the U.S.-based Project Management Institute (PMI).