Dodoma — President Samia Suluhu Hassan on October 30 inaugurated offices, roads and other infrastructure at the Mtumba Government City in Dodoma, formally opening a new administrative hub intended to bring ministries and public institutions together in the country’s capital.
Angolan President João Lourenço attended the ceremony and joined President Samia in opening the complex. The proceedings included the inauguration of paved roads within the site and the formal opening of office buildings for government ministries and institutions.
In her principal policy message, President Samia directed ministries and public institutions to strengthen their information and communications technology systems, saying the relocation of offices should not oblige citizens to make unnecessary trips to the capital.
“Let me urge you, government officials, that even as government services are delivered here at our Mtumba Government City, citizens should not be forced to travel all the way to the capital to follow up on every service provided by the government,” President Samia said.
The government has put investment in the city at approximately Sh700 billion, covering modern offices, roads and communications infrastructure. Construction of the new office buildings began in 2021, under President Samia’s administration, and the facilities were designed to meet current and future administrative needs.
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The new infrastructure includes 59.1 kilometres of paved roads, 52 bus stops, three water-retention dams and 1,635 streetlights. Information presented at the launch also described pedestrian and cycling routes within the complex.
The government says the road and communications systems are intended to support the movement of workers and visitors, reduce paperwork and allow institutions to exchange documents electronically.
That digital ambition was central to the government’s account of the project. In an October 25 briefing, Msigwa said networked communication systems would reduce the time needed to move correspondence and process citizens’ applications.
President Samia’s directive placed equal emphasis on services delivered beyond Dodoma, where most citizens will continue to seek day-to-day government support.
Mtumba is the latest and most visible phase of a much older plan. The decision to make Dodoma the national capital dates to 1973, when the government under founding President Julius Nyerere sought to move the centre of administration from coastal Dar es Salaam to a more central location.
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The process gathered new momentum when the government formally announced the relocation of its operations to Dodoma on July 25, 2016, under President John Magufuli.
The government describes the relocation as a way to bring public services closer to citizens and stimulate growth in the country’s central regions. The development around Dodoma has also created demand for transport, housing, hospitality, construction and other services, according to the same government account.
The city was presented at the opening as a purpose-built public-administration centre, with roads connecting government plots and areas reserved for diplomatic missions. Its drainage works and retention dams were designed to limit flooding, while President Samia and President Lourenço planted mango trees as part of the launch ceremony.
Some institutions had already moved into permanent or temporary premises before the inauguration. In July 2025, the Prime Minister’s Office reported that 10 ministry buildings had been completed and occupied, while construction of 34 ministry and institutional buildings had reached 92.2 per cent. The same update said the 59.1-kilometre road network had been completed.
The launch completes a major stage in moving public administration to Dodoma. The government has said the complex’s digital systems should speed up correspondence and service delivery, while President Samia’s remarks set a clear expectation that the project must make government more accessible nationally rather than make the capital an unavoidable destination for routine services.
