Jakaya Kikwete appoints new ministers for energy and lands
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete at a past event. FILE PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |
What you need to know:
- Move follows the exit of former ministers for the two dockets over corruption allegations.
DAR ES SALAAM, Sunday
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete on Sunday made a mini cabinet reshuffle by appointing two new ministers for energy and lands following the exit of former ministers for the two dockets over corruption allegations.
Announcing the reshuffle, the Chief Secretary to the President Ombeni Sefue said George Simbachawene was named as the new Minister for Energy and Minerals.
William Lukuvi was appointed as the new Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development.
FORMER UN BOSS
Mr Sefue said the newly appointed ministers were sworn in by the president on Saturday evening.
President Kikwete made the cabinet reshuffle shortly after the Minister for Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo announced his resignation following corruption allegations.
Mr Muhongo dismissed any wrongdoing and insisted that he was resigning in order to bring closure to a long-running corruption scandal linked to the transfer of $120 million (Ksh10bn) to a private energy company, which the country’s Members of Parliament in November declared as fraudulent and corrupt.
On December 16, 2014, the country’s Attorney-General Frederick Werema resigned over his role in the multi-million dollar energy sector graft scandal.
On December 22, 2014, Mr Kikwete sacked Anna Tibaijuka, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, over the corruption scandal in the energy sector.
