• What was meant to boost development and generate revenue for the district remains unusable.

Dodoma. Two kilometers from the heart of Bahi Town stands a silent monument to inefficiency and an abandoned bus terminal that consumed millions in public funds. 

Surrounded by dry fields and silence, the facility symbolizes not development, but the challenge in planning and accountability within local governance.

The expansive bus terminal located at Kibaoni area was envisioned as a cornerstone of economic growth meant to create jobs, boost revenue for the Bahi District Council in Dodoma region and improve transport for local residents.

Instead, its remote location has rendered it useless. Travelers and businesses have returned to the unregulated Sokoni bus stop, leaving the new terminal deserted and decaying.

For Bahi’s residents, the so-called “development” has brought more hardship than convenience. The facility lacks basic infrastructure, no running water, emergency services, or proper amenities.

“People don’t use that new stand because of the lack of water services, there are no proper shelters, and it’s also far away from town,”  says Mario Michael, a motorcycle operator in Bahi.

Local boda boda driver Samweli Galuleti described the terminal as “impractical and unsafe,” saying its isolated location and poor design have turned it into an inconvenience rather than a public asset.

“Before they built it here, the public’s recommendation was to construct the terminal at Sokoni, where it would be near where people live,” says Galuleti. “I don’t know what happened, they built it here instead, even though there’s still open land in Sokoni. Who is going to come to this place now?.”

Local people explained that although the old bus stand lacks some essential services including toilets, it is more accessible to local residents.

The Urban Planning Act, 2007 establishes that all urban and regional development planning processes must involve the public.

The Act emphasizes that planning should be people-centered, reflecting local needs, priorities, and social realities.

The total cost of building Kibaoni bus terminal project was Sh100 million, according to the Bahi Town Council contractor, Sasoche Matenya.

The funds were used to build six toilet stalls, a single passenger shelter, a security kiosk, and to grade an access road.

Bahi Town Council records show the project was executed in phases, whereby an initial payment of Sh33.4 million on April 9, 2021 was made for the toilets and shelters. 

This was followed by Sh20 million on April 24, 2021, for road works, and a final Sh10 million on January 9, 2023, to complete a revenue collection office and other toilets. In addition, Sh31.5 million was contributed by stakeholders and through community labour.

The project began implementation on April 4, 2021, and was put into use in 2023 before citizens and vehicle operators reverted to using the old bus stand after discovering that it is located in a remote area.

“Fundamentally, that stand is not a permanent facility,” Matenya said. “We only wanted to create a temporary provision for vehicle entry and revenue collection.”

His statement, however, raises a larger question: how did a temporary provision end up costing taxpayers Sh100 million?

Even more perplexing is Matenya’s revelation that the government-owned land on which the stand was built allegedly carries a Sh40 million rental tax debt. 

Despite financial queries, Kibaoni bus terminal, when operated, earned Bahi Town Council revenue of  Sh1 million a month while Sokoni bus stand, the authority can collect only Sh600,000. 

Questionable costs and expert scrutiny

The Sh100 million expenditure is a central point of public suspicion, with many questioning whether the physical structures justify the investment. 

Independent experts, however, say the figures don’t add up.

Saidi Ngereza,  architect from Islamic Help Foundation  in Tanga with experience across several regions of Tanzania, conducted an independent assessment showing actual construction costs should have been significantly lower.

“A six-stall toilet block could be built for just Sh9 to Sh10 million, and a passenger shelter for Sh10 to Sh12 million,” Ngereza stated. 

He added that while construction costs can vary from one region to another, the amount spent in Bahi bus terminal remains unjustifiably and inconsistent with prevailing market standards.

“Even accounting for regional price differences, these costs are difficult to justify,” he said. “Public tenders often double or even triple project costs, reflecting deep inefficiencies in procurement processes.”

When approached for comment, Bahi District Planning Officer Honorina Mkunda admitted the project had stalled but defended the council’s decisions.

Honorina maintained that the location of the new terminal  was a deliberate strategic choice intended to stimulate town expansion, create jobs, and generate long-term revenue. 

“Our current budget remains insufficient for constructing a high-quality facility. Even the current access for citizens to reach the area (Kibaoni bus terminal) was agreed upon after discussions with the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) to simplify transport for the public,” says Honorina.

She adds that the district is now exploring a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to complete the terminal.

The Tanzania government’s 2018 strategy for empowering local authorities demands that projects be financially viable, community-oriented, and properly planned. 

Bahi District Information Officer Raymond Mhegele, clarify that the Sh100 million cited for the project includes not only direct financial allocations from the local council but also the monetary valuation of citizens’ labour and stakeholder contributions.

He explains that when calculating total project costs, every input whether paid or provided in-kind must be quantified. 

“When we talk about funding availability, we are discussing money allocated by the local council. However, even when sourcing materials and determining costs for a contractor, you must quantify everything,” Mhegele says.

Mhegele notes that the government’s primary goal is to provide reliable and affordable transport services to citizens.

 Under the PPP proposal, collaboration with the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) will be necessary to formalize and license the transport route, thereby allowing the public to benefit from regulated and reduced fares.