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JK defends ministers on house claims
2006-03-28 09:46:40
By Judica Tarimo
President Jakaya Kikwete scoffed yesterday at media reports that Cabinet ministers and their deputies are spending millions of shillings living in luxury hotels.
In what was seen as a reaction to public outcry over gross misuse of public resources, the President said: ’Not all the ministers need government houses. Some of them live in their own houses.’
A section of the media reported last week that ministers and their deputies cost the exchequer a minimum of 7.2m/- per day on accommodation in five-star hotels.
It was also reported that some ministers were reluctant to move into newly constructed government houses.
The ministers had reportedly also complained that the new houses deny them privacy.
’Your reports are not true.
This is totally dishonest,’ Kikwete said during a tour of ministers’ houses that are nearing completion yesterday.
Deputy ministers, permanent secretaries and other senior government officials will also be housed in Mikocheni, Kijitonyama and Msasani Peninsular, where the houses are being built.
The President said ministers will not be forced to live in the new houses, saying they were at liberty to move there or stay in their own houses.
In a statement, which was confirmed by the President, the Minister for Infrastructure Development, Basil Mramba, said that only 11 ministers and 22 deputy ministers were in need of government houses.
The construction of 129 houses in Dar es Salaam and
upcountry for government officials – ministers, deputies, permanent secretaries, senior government officials – will be completed by end of next month.
But Mramba told the President that 50 houses for ministers and deputies were ready for occupation.
The National Service has been contracted to build the houses at a cost of 8.76bn/-.
Each of the houses will cost an estimated 80m/-.
Mramba is expected to table in Parliament a budget for
5bn/- for the construction of access roads, gardens and other facilities at the quarters.
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