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Easy come easy go
Safari City Project is no more

By Staff Writer

The wishful thinking project to come up with a new satellite city, in the expanse remote location of Ilakilak Ward in the Arusha (Rural) District Council, is officially dead.

The proposed new city which was to be known as ‘Arusha DC Safari Town’  was meant to ease congestion in the overcrowded Arusha City which due to lack of open space, can no longer expand.

The Arusha District Council Director, Mr Khalifa Hida has admitted that, the project will no longer take off and it is high time to refund the over 400 people who had acquired plots in the new location.

MagesaMulongo, Arusha Regional Commissioner

Construction works for the new ‘Arusha DC Safari Town’ was scheduled to start at the end of last year, but due to some misunderstandings the plans were pushed forward but as more controversies continued to hound the project, authorities decided to bury the whole thing.

Among the problems surrounding the ‘City’ project was lack of proper planning for road networks, water supply and the fact that some people complained of having paid for plots but failed to get their portions.

The Arusha Regional Commissioner’s office has issued a statement to the effect that the 430 acres of land, which was earmarked for the proposed ‘Arusha Safari City’ will now be used to build the premises to house the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights.

The ACHPR Court, which is an organ of the African Union (AU),is currently operating from the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) buildings in the Urundini Majengo area of Arusha, along Dodoma road.

The Arusha Rural District Council Director, Mr Khalifa Hida revealed here that the ARDC had purchased the 430 acres for the proposed new city from the Valhala Estate at the cost of 8.6 billion/- in total, a figure which can be broken down to 20 million/- per acre.

The new Arusha DC Safari city was initially expected to be completed on the 30th of September 2013 after a speedy, non-stop construction.

All residential houses within the proposed city  be built by the council and sold off to interested people under mortgage and loaning schemes.

A firm known as Arusha District Council Trust Company (ADCTC) was to be formed to undertake all the tasks involved in forming the new urban settlement.

The Tanzania Investment Bank (TIB) on the other hand was expected to issue the 8.6/- billion loan to enable the council to clear the land purchasing bill, ready for the ambitious project.

The CRDB Bank is also expected to fund the proposed city building project with another loan package. The council has approved the expenditure of 170 million/- from its coffers for the purchase of two vehicles for the project.

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