THE government will strengthen the long-dormant Kilimanjaro Machine Tools factory, which has been closed for more than three decades, as part of the government’s industrialisation and job creation agenda.

Leading presidential candidate Samia Suluhu Hassan made this pledge to a vast crowd at the Mashujaa grounds here yesterday, similarly pointing at the new cancer centre at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) hospital working in partnership with the government, as sparing patients the need to travel to Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Dar es Salaam for treatment.

She assured the audience that the next administration will prioritise bringing the factory back to full-scale production to support other industries with critical spare parts and materials.

The facility, once a key supplier of spare parts for local industries, will be modernised and returned to full operation to boost the manufacturing of materials and essential components for other factories, she said.

Stressing that reviving such industries is central to accelerating Tanzania’s economic growth and reducing dependence on imports, she said that the revival of the machine tools factory “is proof of our determination to bring back life to dormant industries across the country.

“We are committed to ensuring that they either get new investors or are handed over to cooperative unions so that they can benefit our people directly,” she stated.

The government is also poised to fast-track the long-delayed Liganga and Mchuchuma iron and coal mining project, affirming that the Ludewa District projects will transform Njombe Region into a hub of steel and power production.

“We are in final discussions with investors, and once re-elected, my government will ensure that the projects kick off immediately. Liganga and Mchuchuma is a game-changer that will unlock industrial development and create thousands of jobs,” she stated.

She pointed at the government’s decision to reduce rural electricity connection fees from 180,000/- to 27,000/-, enabling thousands of households to access reliable power, while the government’s introduction of subsidised gas cylinder refilling to 16,000/- in designated areas is helping to cut reliance on firewood and charcoal.

She highlighted the completed first phase of the Same–Mwanga–Korogwe water project as paving the way for the launch of the second phase she said, noting that in the nearby Hai District, the Uroki–Bomang’ombe and Kikafu water project has been completed at a cost of 3.39bn/-. In Rombo District, a 9.8bn/- water project is being implemented drawing from Lake Chala, she said.

In Siha District, she announced a 14bn/- investment that will supply clean water to eight villages, citing the 31km airport bypass road, the 53km Holili–Tarakea road linking Tanzania and Kenya, and a number of road projects in Moshi Rural, Same and other districts.

She reiterated a pledge to enable farmers to hire tractors at half price while in the livestock sector, she pointed at plans to expand livestock-keeping areas nationwide to train pastoralists on modern feed farming practices and end nomadic grazing patterns.

Ibrahim Shayo, the Moshi Urban parliamentary candidate, said over 1.48trn/- has been invested in Kilimanjaro Region over the past five years, including 238bn/- in Moshi Urban constituency for water, health, education and infrastructure projects.

Prof Adolf Mkenda, the Rombo parliamentary candidate, said that the Lake Chala water project will reach 33 villages, while veteran cadre Nape Nnauye and Planning minister Prof Kitila Mkumbo praised Samia’s record.