Tanzania's Home Affairs Minister sacked over fraud

Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Thursday sacked the Minister for Home Affairs Kangi Lugola, saying the ministry was leading in undertaking fraudulent projects.

Magufuli also sacked the Commissioner General of the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force Thobias Andengenye, for overseeing a dubious project worth some 408 million Euros (about $452 million).

He announced the sacking of the two senior public officials shortly after he had inaugurated a housing project for prisons officers in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam which was televised live by the national broadcaster, Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.

The president said the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Hamad Masauni and the ministry's Permanent Secretary Jacob Kingu had written to him resignation letters which he had accepted.

He said Andengenye was involved in the preparations and the signing of the project for the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

He added the project was authorised by officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs without the knowledge of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and without the approval of the National Assembly.

He said other officials in the Attorney General's Office and the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force who were involved in the shoddy deal should be accountable. President Magufuli appointed Lugola Minister for Home Affairs replacing Mwigulu Nchemba in a cabinet reshuffle in July 2018.