By Sosthenes Mwita
LOCATED
midway Cape Town in South Africa and Cairo, the city of Arusha is
Tanzania's tourism hub. It is also known to the tourism world as the
safari capital of Tanzania. The city straddles the Great North Road
connecting Cape Town to Cairo. By a quirk of fate, Arusha is also
located at the geographical centre of East African countries of
Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
It is,
consequently, the capital of the East African Community (EAC), a body
revived by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, after its demise in 1977. Burundi
and Rwanda are also EAC members. The city of Arusha had a humble
beginning in the 1890's and grew up to become a world renowned city.
The first guide
book produced on Arusha town (and the Northern Province as Arusha Region
was then called) was published on December 5, 1929 to mark the opening
of the Moshi to Arusha railway line. The official opening was made by
the British Governor of Tanganyika, Sir Donald Cameron.
The first session
of the Tanganyika Legislative Council to be held in Arusha took place at
the same time. In 1929, the guide book says, 5,000 sterling pounds were
enough capital to acquire land.
The same amount of
money was enough to hire land tillers who also planted coffee and
brought it to a bearing stage. The Arusha area also had vast potential
for citrus fruits, horticulture and sisal with the climate and rainfall
being conducive to 'White settlement'.
Arusha was a
'little piece of England.' At the end of the First World War (WW1)
Arusha town was slightly more than a hamlet. There were few shops and no
motorcars or garages.
Ox-wagons were the
main means of transport and the 79-kilometre journey from Arusha to
Moshi, which takes an hour by car now, took more than a week by
ox-wagon. By 1929, however, the face of Arusha was beginning to change
with the New Arusha Hotel (NAH) of the day proudly advertising that it
had hot and cold water in all bedrooms, electricity lights, modern
sanitation and a teak dance floor.
To be precise, the
advert said: "If you wish to have a real enjoyable holiday, then go to
Arusha and stay at the New Arusha Hotel, where you will obtain hot and
cold water in all bed-rooms, modern sanitation, Teak dancing floor,
electric light and really excellent food as well as golf."
The advert also
appealed for customers saying that the hotel had a tennis court, big
game (wild animals) and bird shooting. A company owned by John
Mulholland claimed that it had the 'finest bacon slicing machine in the
territory,' and Major A.E. Pekins advertised for more white settlers,
mostly from Britain.
In 1957 the East
Africa Tourist Travel Association produced the first formal guide book
to the town of Arusha. Not surprisingly, there was a picture of Maasai
family ( man, woman and child) on the cover and Mount Meru in the
background.
The guide was
published four years before Independence in 1961. The book also carried
advertisements from a 'European' bakery, meat shop for 'European
service,' and 'European vegetable shop.' There was also an advert on
'European hospital.'
The 1952 census put
the population of Arusha town at 7,797. The census figures in colonial
days showed racial divisions. So, the population of Arusha comprised
3,560 Africans, 3,153 Asians and 1,084 Europeans. In 1952 the tariff for
single room in New Arusha Hotel with a private bath was 40/-. Breakfast
was four shillings and lunch seven shillings. Today, Arusha City is
simply dynamic.
Part of the present
scenario has been brought on by the dramatic increase in the tourist
trade and the rural-urban migration that affects all societies. Lured by
the city's potential people have resettled in the city from all over
Tanzania and various parts of the world.
This cosmopolitan
liveliness may at times border on chaos to the visiting outsider.
Pushcarts carrying items ranging from roofing sheets to grass for
domestic livestock 'compete' with motor vehicles on the city's narrow
roads.
Hawkers virtually
block the pavements with goods displayed on the ground. The presence of
mineral market and mineral mines has also helped boost the population.
In 2007 the city of Arusha was estimated to have 359,044 residents.
A report compiled
at that time by the City Director, Mr Raphael Mbunda, showed that
further 100,000 people entered the city daily and leave the same day.
The city of Arusha has been developing as the capital of the East
African Community (EAC) with the Arusha International Conference Centre
(AICC) at the pivot. Arusha has also the distinction of being the centre
of the trade in Tanzanite which is mined at Mererani in Manyara region.
The industrial
potential of unique Lake Natron, once developed will add to the region's
prestige as an industrial region. Lake Natron, contains the country's
only commercial deposits of soda ash.
Arusha region's
commercial, industrial, tourist and agricultural might make the region
the second largest consumer of electricity and gives the region the
sixth longest regional economy after Dar es Salaam Mwanza and Shinyanga.
The population boom has over-stretched social services.
What is required is
fresh look at the Arusha master plan and better implementation
initiative. Water supply is one of the sectors that have been
over-stretched by the population boom. Out of the 14 deep boreholes that
supply the city with water, 12 are located in Arumeru District.
Only two boreholes
are located within the perimeters of the city. The city also gets water
from two springs located in Arumeru District. In 2006 the city of Arusha
had water requirement of 42,000 litres per day while actual production
stood at 35,000 litres during dry seasons and 44,000 litres during rainy
seasons.
Arusha City
residents are mainly business people. The city has a sizable population
of industrialists, tourism operators, urban village farmers and
livestock keepers. The main sources of revenue for the city, however,
are industries, businesses and tourism. About 52 per cent of residents
in Arusha depend on the three economic sectors. Arusha city has 12 major
factories that contribute significantly to the region's economy.
These include
General Tyre East Africa; Tanzania Breweries and Sunflag. Others are
Tanzania Pharmaceutical Industries; A to Z (treated mosquito net
industry); Kilima Bottlers; MB Super Food; Sunkist Jumbo Mills; Tanfoam
Industries; National Milling Corporation; Foills and Silos Industries
and Arusha meat Company.
The city also is
home to more than 200 small-scale industries. Residents in the city
require a total of 95,240.3 tonnes of grains and 14,654 tonnes of
legumes per year. Arusha District is self-sufficient in food annually,
depending on rain performance.
Arusha Meat
Company, an abattoir that was built in 1991 and which is owned entirely
by the Arusha City Council, has slaughter capacity of 500 cattle and 400
goats and sheep per day. At the moment the abattoir slaughters only 150
cattle and 130 goats and sheep.
The main problem
that afflicts Arusha Meat Company is lack of capital that would enable
the company to expand its slaughter houses (killing floors), build more
storage rooms (drilling rooms), increase supply of water and abattoir
equipment.
The city council
plans to solve the problem by entering into public-private partnership
in order to secure funds for improvement of the meat processing
operations. The company has market value of 1,305,000,000/-. Arusha
Region is the second to Dar es Salaam on the industrial development
ranking. There are large, medium and small-scale industries scattered
all over the region.
The major
industries produce textiles, iron and steel. There are also large-scale
industries dealing in wood, electrical and electronic appliances and
beverages. Also in this rank are food industries and milling industries.
Others are
pharmaceutical, chemical and plastics industries. The region has 11
hospitals, 34 health centres and 197 dispensaries. These facilities have
a total of 1,743 hospital beds. The most common diseases in the region
includes malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, HIV/AIDS, anaemia and
tuberculosis.
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