DODOMA: TANZANIA’s Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba has urged citizens to safeguard the country’s long-standing reputation as a peaceful nation and a refuge for people from across Africa and beyond.
PM Nchemba made the remarks while officiating the ninth Quran memorisation competition in Kondoa district in the Dodoma Region, where he called on Tanzanians to strengthen unity, uphold moral values and maintain national harmony.
The event brought together local leaders, religious figures and members of the Muslim community, including Kondoa member of parliament Ashatu Kijaji and Dodoma regional commissioner Rosemary Senyamule.
The prime minister encouraged Tanzanians to use the ongoing fasting period to promote solidarity, maintain peace and pray for the country.
“Leaders, believers and all Tanzanians should use this fasting season and the approaching festive period to increase love, preserve peace and pray for our country and our president while rejecting all acts of evil within our nation,” he said.
He said Tanzania is widely recognised internationally as a peaceful country and a safe haven for many people facing difficulties elsewhere.
“Tanzania is widely known as an island of peace and a refuge for many. We must continue safeguarding that reputation because it benefits all Tanzanians as well as people across Africa and the world,” Nchemba said.
The prime minister said the government values the role played by religious institutions in promoting moral values and pledged continued cooperation to ensure freedom of worship.
He added that Quran memorisation competitions should not only promote healthy competition but also strengthen understanding of the teachings of the Quran.
“In competitions like these, there is no loser. All participants are winners because they have learned, carried the Quran in their hearts and shared its teachings before us,” he said.
He also urged teachers, parents and guardians to guide young people through practical examples so that they grow with strong moral values, integrity and a sense of unity in society.
Senyamule said memorising the Quran reflects a strong commitment to preserving religious teachings.
“When you hear about preservation, you may think of books, television or computers. But these children are preserving the Quran in human hearts and this is something that should be cherished,” she said.
Kijaji pledged continued support for religious education in her constituency, including plans to expand madrasa infrastructure across Kondoa district’s 21 wards.
She said the initiative aims to establish at least one major learning centre in each division to train religious scholars and youth while promoting strong moral values.
Separately, Nchemba inspected the rehabilitation and expansion of Sumbawanga Airport, a project aimed at improving air transport infrastructure in the southern highlands.
The project, which began in the 2023/2024 financial year at a cost of about 60.1 billion Tanzanian shillings, is about 96% complete and is expected to handle around 400 passengers a day once finished.
Nchemba said the development reflects ongoing economic and social transformation in the region and forms part of the government’s infrastructure investment drive under President Samia Suluhu Hassan aimed at boosting growth and improving livelihoods.
