How does an external public audit inspection test whether major railway contracts are progressing properly and delivering value for money?
Inspection covers four railway sections
Controller and Auditor General Charles Kichere has completed a four-day inspection of Standard Gauge Railway construction covering the Makutupora–Tabora, Tabora–Kigoma, Tabora–Isaka and Isaka–Mwanza sections. The visit was intended to assess implementation, identify challenges and review measures for completing the projects on time and to the required standards. It was an oversight exercise rather than a new tendering process: the audit office examined progress on projects already being delivered, alongside the government bodies responsible for managing them.
Value for money is the audit question
Kichere said the Office of the Controller and Auditor General had a responsibility to check that public funds invested in the SGR were used efficiently and produced value for money. He described the project as a major undertaking costing more than 35tri/-. In procurement terms, this kind of inspection provides an external check on whether spending and delivery remain aligned with the public purpose of the contracts. It can also bring construction, timing and performance concerns to the attention of the institutions managing the work.
TRC is urged to supervise contractors closely
The projects were generally progressing well, Kichere said, while urging Tanzania Railways Corporation to continue closely supervising contractors. The focus was on ensuring that construction meets required quality standards and delivers the intended benefits to citizens and the nation. This places day-to-day contract management at the centre of the control system: the procuring entity must monitor performance and address emerging problems, while the external auditor reviews whether public resources and the wider delivery arrangements are working as intended.
Government says identified challenges can be addressed
Meshack Anyingisye, the Ministry of Finance’s Budget Commissioner, represented the ministry’s Permanent Secretary and said the few challenges identified during the inspection were within the government’s capacity to address. The government would work to resolve them and improve implementation, he said. TRC Director General Engineer Machibya Shiwa thanked the auditor for assessing the projects, saying the inspection had helped the corporation and contractors identify emerging challenges and explore solutions. The article reports no finding that funds were misused or that any contractor breached a contract.
IN NUMBERS
The inspection illustrates how procurement oversight continues after contract award: the auditor reviews the use of public funds and delivery risks, while the railway corporation remains responsible for supervising contractors and responding to problems.
Reported from dailynews.co.tz, 2026-10-10. The Tender Wire is published by Otnox.
