KEY POINTS
- Tanzania opened its Energy Week exhibitions at Parliament premises in Dodoma on Monday.
- Lawmakers toured booths showcasing TANESCO, REA, TPDC and PURA achievements across the country.
- A 1.2 trillion shilling contract will extend electricity to over 9,000 rural hamlets.
Tanzania has opened its Energy Week at Parliament premises in Dodoma, turning the grounds into a showcase of what the country’s power sector has built and what it still needs to fix.
Energy Minister Deogratius Ndejembi toured the exhibitions on Monday and used the moment to push lawmakers into the booths. His message was direct: bring the problems from your constituencies, and the experts on-site will work on solutions.
The exhibitions are organized by the Ministry of Energy and its affiliated institutions. Tanzania Electric Supply Company, the Rural Energy Agency, the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation and the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority are all represented. Visitors can also put on virtual reality headsets and tour the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station without leaving Dodoma.
What the exhibitions are showing
Ndejembi said the displays give Members of Parliament a clear view of the work being done across the sector.”These exhibitions enable Members of Parliament and their guests to witness the significant work carried out by our institutions,” he said.
He pointed to progress under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s sixth phase government. The gains include expanded energy access and a national push on clean cooking. The Ministry of Energy is expected to table its budget estimates for the 2026/2027 financial year today.
Lulindi MP Issa Mchungahela said he left the exhibitions satisfied with progress on the national grid extension. The project is moving into the southern regions, and the contractor has been paid.
“Once this national grid is completed and our areas are connected, we will overcome the persistent power outages that have hindered development,” he said.
What lawmakers are demanding next
Mchungahela warned against complacency. More funding is needed to keep the project on schedule, and he said the burden cannot rest on Mtwara Region’s MPs alone.
Kasulu Rural MP Edibily Kazala pushed the conversation further. He cited a recently signed REA contract worth over 1.2 trillion shillings aimed at reaching more than 9,000 rural hamlets. He called the initiative significant but incomplete.
Kazala also asked for a larger Ministry of Energy budget. Reliable electricity, he said, is the backbone of economic participation. Rural and urban Tanzanians need the same baseline, and the country’s energy ambition will only be met if the money matches the infrastructure being planned.
