Bukoba municipal authority has been asked to allocate plots to enable the construction of new primary schools, following pupils’ congestion in various schools.

A survey conducted by the “Daily News” in Bukoba Municipality has revealed that several primary schools face shortage of classrooms, desks, toilets and teachers’ quarters. For example, Tumaini primary school has a total of 1,239 pupils accommodated in 21 classrooms, while the needed number of classes is 33.

The school has a total of 392 desks while the needed number is 684. It has one teachers’ house while those needed were only 32. Another school is Kashai primary school which has 1,571 pupils and 23 classrooms, while the needed number was 37. The school has a total of 443 desks, while those needed were 750.

There is only one teachers’ quarter out of the needed 35 houses. Mafumbo Primary School has a total of 1,738 pupils. The school has 15 classrooms with a shortage of 25 classrooms. It also faced acute shortage of 38 teachers’ quarters and 69 desks. Meanwhile, Bukoba Municipality has surveyed over 5,000 new plots in Buhembe, Nyanga, Ijuganyondo, Kahororo, Kitendaguro and Kashai wards.

Bukoba Municipal Director, Hamis Kaputa, said a total of 2.4bn/- would be spent for compensation to affected families. He said 1,725 plots had already been registered by the Registrar for Lands Development adding that payment of compensation was being made through the Tanzania Postal Bank (TPB).

Bukoba town was upgraded to Municipal status on July 1, 2005. However, survey and allocation of new plots to people who paid their money had taken a long time. Several people have complained that they paid money more than 15 years ago, but they have not been allocated plots.

Mr Kaputa said the exercise of surveying the 5,000 plots was going on smoothly, adding that the compensation would be completed soon.

By MEDDY MULISA, Tanzania Daily News