Residents of Pemba are to benefitted from a solar street lighting project along a total of 17.4km of roads in 3 districts of the Island, thanks to the Zanzibar Urban Services Project (ZUSP), which was carried out under the Zanzibar Ministry of Planning and Finance .
The project was being implemented in three Pemba Town Councils of Chake Chake, Mkoani and Wete at a total cost of 6.3bn Tshs in 2020
According to the ZUSP Coordinator, Makame Ali Makame then, the project covers 3 roads including three Town Council roads. These are Wete area – 7.4km, Chake Chake area – 5.6km; and Mkoani area – 4.4km.The roads will be fully provided with double arm lights and single arm lights in some locations.
He added, “The street lights increased safety for road users (both pedestrians and motorists) and increase the number of business hours in the 3 Town Councils. This, by extension, can had an impact on the economy.
“This particular Street lighting project in Pemba was part of the larger ZUSP project which had various components of ongoing developments. Some of the projects had already been implemented while others are still going on in both Pemba and Unguja.
Added Mr. Makame, “The multibillion street lighting project in Pemba helped hundreds of thousands of Pemba residents go about their daily business in a safer environment even in late hours and thus have impact on the economy. This is a continuation of other projects we have implemented in Pemba which include foot paths steps along hilly areas that lead to schools and other communities, storm water drainage system, a building modern market and a bus station, constructing a modern abattoir, constructing an office building for Chake Chake Town Council and institutional support to Wete, Chake Chake and Mkoani district, ”
One of the elements, known as Component 2 of the project, was to give support to the Town Councils on Pemba Island at a cost of (US$5 million). It included scaling up of small investments in provision of basic infrastructure such as street lighting .Others, which are part of this component and have already been implemented for Pemba include pedestrian footpaths, and local markets and institutional strengthening support to the three Town Councils in Pemba Island on urban planning, asset management, fiscal management, information system, and community engagement.
Other infrastructure investments already made by ZUSP in Zanzibar include over 20km of surface drains constructed, a new landfill of 425,000 cubic meters’ capacity constructed and equipped, over 11km of new street lighting installed already in Stone Town and surrounding urban areas, 340m in length of a sea wall and seaside promenade constructed, as well as other urban upgrading schemes.
ZUSP was a project under the Zanzibar Ministry of planning and Finance and financed by World Bank.
ZUSP was the first World Bank in Zanzibar which supports supported urban sector project with the main objective to improve access to Urban Services in Zanzibar and conserve the physical cultural heritage at one public location within Stone Town.
With a total funding of US $93 million(for original ZUSP and Additional Financing), ZUSP, investments, which started in 2011, provide improved access to basic services to nearly 400,000 beneficiaries, through various infrastructure investments including over 20km of surface drains constructed, a new landfill of 425,000 cubic meters’ capacity constructed and equipped, over 11km of new street lighting installed already in Stone Town and surrounding urban areas, 340m in length of a sea wall and seaside promenade constructed, as well as other urban upgrading schemes.