Lessons on urban planning from Dodoma

This week I visited in Dodoma, Tanzania. Back in 1973, President Julius Nyerere’s government devised a plan to shift the capital from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, in the middle of the country.

The idea was to make the seat of government accessible to most Tanzanians. Despite being unable to implement the plan due to economic constraints, Nyerere kept the dream alive throughout his tenure. But his successor abandoned the idea. That is, until President John Magufuli came into the picture. In 2016, Magufuli ordered the government to move to Dodoma. Many officials complained, unhappy with the idea of moving to the wilderness. But Magufuli stuck to his guns.