Stakeholders allege that MKUKUTA I was not practically successful

Development stakeholders in Morogoro have said that the first phase of the Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (well known in its Kiswahili acronym as MKUKUTA) has not attained achievements in practical terms although theoretically the strategy shows to have succeeded.

They made the statement during a public dialogue organised by the Union of Non-governmental Organisations in Morogoro (UNGO), supported by the Foundation for Civil Society and held in Morogoro in April.

The dialogue was aimed at gathering opinions of people about implementation of phase one of MKUKUTA and providing suggestions of issues to be incorporated in the second phase.

During the dialogue, participants alleged that the government has not attained achievements, especially in good governance because in many areas, particularly rural areas people are still denied their human rights like the right for information, and that they have poor social services and infrastructure.

They said that poor education, health, and water services and the lack of market for their agricultural produce continue to be contributing factors of migration from rural to urban areas.

A lecturer of Mzumbe university, Mrisho Mlipula said that implementation of MKUKUTA was mainly concentrated in the urban areas, forgetting people in the rural areas.

He said that there are statistics on development in the education, health, water and infrastructure sectors, which do not match with the situation on the ground something that makes the people unable to understand statements from the government that the living standard of people has improved.

Commenting on social security Malipula said, “There should be established a social security system for protecting farmers as it is the case of employees who are covered under different social security funds. Contrarily a farmer of today is just equal to the one of 60 years ago”