Kikwete vows to punish embezzlers of local...
 
2005-09-26 08:52:25
By Charles Masayanyika, PST, Babati

	CCM presidential candidate Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete

CCM presidential candidate Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete has vowed not to spare any local government officials found to have embezzled public money, if elected president.

 He sounded the warning over the weekend when addressing residents of Manyara Region at Dareda Village and at Kwaraa ground in Babati township.

 He said ’his government’ would not condone artificial financial shortages created by a few greedy local government officials, from people’s hard-earned revenue.

 ”You now have the ants killer in place, those who squandered local government resources, should get prepared to face the long arm of the law,’’ he said.

 Kikwete cautioned that he would leave no stones unturned when dealing with embezzlers of local governments money.

 He said ’his government’ would pump more money into the Tanzania Structural Adjustment Fund (TASAF) to boost health care and provide anti-retrovirals for HIV/Aids infected women.

’’There are more than 40,000 people currently using the life prolonging drugs and 500,000 women in need of pre-natal HIV/Aids medication,’’ he said.

Kikwete promised that the forth phase government would build a tarmac road from Singida to Minjingu in Manyara and another from Babati, Dodoma to Iringa in order to facilitate communication between the towns. He added that rural roads would also be upgraded.

Meanwhile, CCM presidential candidate Jakaya Kikwete has promised Iramba residents that if elected he would help improve agriculture, livestock and fishing sectors, reports Elisante John of PST in Singida.

’’My government will dish out enough loans to youths and women to raise their standards of living,’’ said Kikwete.

Kikwete had earlier addressed rallies in Manyoni and Singida township.

• SOURCE: Guardian