IRINGA: Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba has directed leaders across the country to educate citizens on the importance of formalising land transactions through written agreements instead of relying solely on trust, citing growing land disputes reported during his nationwide engagements.
The Prime Minister said increasing cases involving land ownership and transfers highlight the urgent need for greater public awareness on proper documentation and legal recognition of land transactions.
“Leaders present here should advise citizens that land matters should no longer be handled based on trust alone. They should enter into formal agreements, preferably documented through village offices, so that transactions are properly recognised,” Dr Nchemba said.
He made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting with regional leaders in Iringa to review the outcomes of his recent tour of the region. The meeting was held at the Iringa Regional Commissioner’s Office.
“I urge citizens not to fear formalising their arrangements because trust is gradually declining. By documenting agreements, we can prevent future disputes,” he added.
Dr Nchemba said many complaints raised by citizens during his tour involved land ownership conflicts and informal transactions that lacked legal documentation.
He also directed leaders supervising development projects to ensure affected residents receive official agreements and documentation protecting their rights during land acquisition processes.
“We should not take people’s land without paying compensation. Whenever there is a development project, there must be formal agreements,” he said.
The Prime Minister said residents whose land is acquired for public projects should receive official notices confirming the acquisition while awaiting compensation payments.
“Whether the land is earmarked for investment, road construction, schools or any other public project, people must be given proper documentation,” he stressed.
Dr Nchemba noted that growing demand for land across the country has made proper record-keeping and legal documentation increasingly important in preventing future conflicts and safeguarding ownership rights.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister directed public servants to wear identification badges displaying their names while on duty to improve accountability and service delivery in government offices.
“Public servants should wear identification cards so that citizens can easily identify those responsible for delivering services. We must not institutionalise inefficiency in our offices,” he said.
“There are offices where only a small proportion of employees are productive despite most reporting to work daily. We must focus on delivering results and every supervisor should ensure accountability among staff under their authority,” he added.
Dr Nchemba also commended Iringa regional leaders, including Regional Commissioner Heri James and CCM Regional Chairman Daudi Yassin, for maintaining peace and overseeing development activities effectively.
“Your region is peaceful. I have visited all seven constituencies and have not encountered conflicts related to leadership contests. Everywhere I went, people were focused on development issues,” he said.
The Prime Minister noted that although citizens raised several concerns during his regional tour, district and regional authorities had already addressed many of the issues, reflecting commitment to resolving public challenges.
Dr Nchemba began his tour of Iringa Region last Tuesday, visiting all five councils and seven constituencies before concluding the exercise on Sunday with a regional review meeting.