Historic mosque demolished to make way for road

A nearly 200-year-old mosque is set to be demolished to make way for the construction of the Mbalizi-Makongolosi road, sparking concerns over the loss of an important historical landmark. The mosque, which was built in 1826, has served as both a place of worship and a monument honouring the contributions of earlier generations, a report in The Citizen notes. Chunya District Commissioner Mbaraka Batenga acknowledged the historical significance of the mosque but emphasised the importance of infrastructure development. Batenga praised the local leadership of the Muslims Council of Tanzania, which is popularly known by its Kiswahili acronym as Bakwata, for already initiating the construction of a new mosque. ‘Our elders did great things, and I commend the leaders for starting the construction of another mosque. History is being erased to make way for development, but we are building a new mosque that will continue to honour our predecessors,’ he stated. The construction of the Mbalizi-Makongolosi road is seen as part of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s broader efforts to improve infrastructure in the region, but for many, the loss of the Old Mosque symbolises a significant erasure of local history.