Tanzanian President sacks Home Affairs minister over fraud

Tanzanian president Pombe Magufuli speaks on December 1, 2018 during the launch of the Namanga one-stop border point. PHOTO | SILA KIPLAGAT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  Xinhua

What you need to know:

  • Magufuli also sacked the Commissioner-General of the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force Thobias Andengenye, for overseeing a dubious project worth some 408 million Euros (about $452 million; Sh45.4 billion).
  • The President further said the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Hamad Masauni and the ministry's Permanent Secretary Jacob Kingu wrote resignation letters, which he accepted.  
  • He said other officials in the Attorney-General's Office and the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force who were involved in the shoddy deal should be accountable.

Dar es Salaam,

Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Thursday sacked Minister for Home Affairs Kangi Lugola, saying the ministry was leading in undertaking fraudulent projects.

Magufuli also sacked the Commissioner-General of the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force Thobias Andengenye, for overseeing a dubious project worth some 408 million Euros (about $452 million; Sh45.4 billion).

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He announced the sacking of the two senior public officials shortly after inaugurating a housing project for prisons officers in commercial capital Dar es Salaam, which was televised live by the national broadcaster, Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.

RESIGNATIONS

The President further said the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Hamad Masauni and the ministry's Permanent Secretary Jacob Kingu wrote resignation letters, which he accepted.  

Magufuli said Andengenye was involved in the preparations and the signing of the project for the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

He said the project was authorised by officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs without the knowledge of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and without the approval of the National Assembly.

The President said other officials in the Attorney-General's Office and the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force who were involved in the shoddy deal should be accountable.

Magufuli appointed Lugola the Minister for Home Affairs replacing Mwigulu Nchemba in a Cabinet reshuffle in July 2018. 

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