Former Private Secretary to Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Mzee Samuel Hussein Kassori, has pleaded with the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) to suspend their eviction order against nearly 300 families at the state firm’s Kijenge housing estate in Arusha. In a letter dated November 12, 2024 addressed to the Prime Minister (PM), Mr Majaliwa Kassim Majaliwa, Mzee Kasori pleaded with the PM to intervene in the matter, which he (Mzee Kasori) termed as sensitive. A notice dated November 5, signed by AICC Managing Director, Ms Christine Mwakatobe, gave the tenants two months to vacate their houses, ostensibly to give way to “strategic development projects.” It is understood a bigger capacity convention centre and five-star hotel are planned for the prime location under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between AICC and unspecified private investors. Mzee Kasori warned in the letter, a copy of which was sent to ‘The Arusha News’, that the sensitive matter involving the welfare of such a big number of people was being handled without empathy. “When some of us inquired, we were told it’s orders from above,” he said. The retired public servant said if it is a must that the tenants be evicted, they should be engaged properly to appreciate and own the projects planned for the area. Anything short of that was disruptive and could cause undesired misery, he cautioned. One of the tenants, who said he had lived in the estate for 28 years, pleaded that the two months’ notice was too short, asking for at least a six- month extension. A city resident noted that the AICC demolished half of the housing units after evicting tenants from its other estate at Soweto in the city eight years ago, also to give way to a re-development project, but nothing had been done to date. Mzee Kasori wondered why the Kijenge housing estate should be demolished to allow for the construction of another convention centre, which could be built on available open areas in the city, such as the one opposite Sakina Bar along Nairobi Road. He said while AICC wanted to build another conference centre, dishonest officials were busy diverting events from the public entity to less equipped private facilities.
NYERERE’S AIDE WANTSKIJENGE EVICTIONS HALTED
It will be another failure project! Remember when ICTR came in Arusha, all the tenants at AICC the main center, they were told to leave immediately! Which they did and place given to UN ICTR! Today that place is vacant since the ICTR left and no tenants! This will be another one! The project won’t execute and also won’t benefit anyone! What they have in hands, they can’t work on that, hence they want to remove livelihood of poor society who are living peacefully for all these years and evacuate in short term notice! This is totally insanity! People grievances will remain behind and lead to failure project! AICC would have developed long back those empty places when they were paid tons of USD rents during ICTR! Which that time nothing happened and want to do now! It will never happen! Remember also Afcon is not at similar caliber event like European nations cup! We have witnessed always the attendance in those games isn’t like Europe! 5 star hotel!! Gran Melia is struggling to fill, similar Mt Meru is facing the same! They should do their comprehensive research, for a hotel project! We have many tall long buildings in the entire country and all of them has hardly 40% occupancy! What Mr Kasori is saying has very strong point! But if his letter is turned blind eye and deaf ears, I guess we citizens don’t have much say! There are dozens of evidence of failure projects, and this one will be additional one!!