Works minister John Magufuli (left) is escorted by Coast Regional Commissioner Evarist Ndikilo upon his arrival in Mbegani, Bagamoyo, aboard the MV Dar es Salaam during a trial run last month.
Dodoma. The controversy surrounding procurement of the MV Dar-Bagamoyo has landed in Parliament, with some opposition MPs demanding justification for procuring the ferry that has been dogged with controversy.
In March, The Citizen exclusively published reports that show the ferry does not meet technical specifications and standards, and that purchasing it at a cost of about Sh8 billion wasn't a good value for money that was spent.
The ferry has been found to have a speed problem and an expert raised alarm over the aluminium material that was used to make the ferry meant to ply Dar-Bagamoyo for the purpose of curbing traffic jams.
But efforts to launch the service have stalled over the three-hour long journey that it took for a one way trip to Bagamoyo, and the lack of berths along the route.
The ferry has reportedly been unable to reach the top speed of 20 knots as requested and, instead, tops at between 14 and 15 knots. The government initially planned it to take one-and-a-half hours sailing between Bagamoyo and Dar es Salaam.
There are now fears the 300-passenger capacity ferry may end up as a white elephant despite consuming billions of shillings in tax payers money in its purchasing.
On Wednesday evening, Special Seats MP Esther Matiku (Chadema) said she doubted whether the ferry was brand new, considering that some of its interior features do not operate and that it was manufactured in Bangladesh-a country she claimed wasn't known for expertise in ship building.
"I want to know whether the government really adhered to the law on procurement when purchasing this ferry, and how the government satisfied itself that was the best price for such a ferry," she questioned.
Ms Matiku asked other lawmakers in the House to support her argument so that she could move a private motion on the matter to seek proper clarification from the ministry or seek the formation of a parliamentary committee to probe the matter.
However, only few legislators, from the opposition supported her motion, as a result, the Deputy Speaker, Mr Job Ndugai, disallowed the debate.
When Responding to Ms Matiku, Works minister Dr John Magufuli, insisted the ferry "is brand new."