Morogoro
INTRODUCTION
Morogoro is a town with a population of 315,866
(2012 census) in the eastern part of Tanzania, 196 kilometres (122 mi) west of
Dar es Salaam, the country's largest city and commercial centre, and 260
kilometres (160 mi) east of Dodoma, the country's capital city.[3] Morogoro is
the capital of the Morogoro Region. It is also known informally as "Mji
kasoro bahari," which translates as "city short of an
ocean/port."[citation needed]
Morogoro lies at the base of the Uluguru Mountains
and is a centre of agriculture in the region. The Sokoine University of
Agriculture is based in the city. A number of missions are also located in the
city, providing schools and hospitals. Morogoro is home to the Amani Centre,
which has helped over 3,400 disabled people in the surrounding villages.[4]
Contents
Water supply[edit]
Eighty percent of the Morogoro's water supply comes
from the Mindu Dam on the Ngerengere River. The dam project, begun in 1978, has
been controversial. The lake behind the dam has led to high rates of bilharzia
infection,[5] and mercury run-off from gold mining nearby the dam has polluted
the city's water supply.[6] The dam is also being rapidly silted due to
deforestation in the surrounding areas.[7]
In 2012-13 a $8.31m USAID/MCC-funded programme was
implemented for the Morogoro Water Supply Authority (MORUWASA) to rehabilitate
drinking water resources from the Uluguru Mountains with an inlet and treatment
plant near the Regional Governance offices at the high end of the Boma Road.
Education[edit]
Sokoine University of Agriculture, Muslim University
of Morogoro, St Joseph and Jordan University College are located in Morogoro.
Mzumbe University is located 26 km south of the town on the highway to Iringa.
There are other famous colleges like Ardhi Institute Morogoro, Morogoro
Teachers College, and LITI (Livestock Training Institute).
One of the oldest secondary schools in the country,
Kilakala Girls High School (formerly known as Marian College), is also found in
the municipality. Other secondary schools within the municipality are Morogoro
Secondary School (formerly Aga Khan Secondary School), Forest Hill Secondary,
Jabal Hira Muslim Secondary, Kigurunyembe Secondary, Lutheran Junior Seminary,
St. Francis de Sales Seminary, St. Peter's Seminary and Lupanga Practising
Secondary School (a newly established school near Kigurunyembe teacher's
college,Kola Hill Secondary School. The English-language Morogoro International
School was founded in 1975.[8]
Transport[edit]
Public transport buses called dala dala are
available for transport within the town, the fare are mostly around Tsh 400
from town to nearby area. Also for faster transportation motorcycles boda boda
and Bajaj are the best within town areas; fare is depending on distance of the
destination.
Sports and culture[edit]
The city is represented in the Tanzanian Premier
League by football club Mtibwa Sugar F.C.
Morogoro is the home of Salim Abdullah, who was the
founder of the Cuban Marimba Band, and the Morogoro Jazz Band, another
well-known band established in 1944.[9] From the mid-1960s to the 1970s,
Morogoro was home to one of Tanzania's most influential and celebrated
musicians, Mbaraka Mwinshehe, a lead guitarist and singer-songwriter.[9]
Sister cities[edit]
The city of Milwaukee in the state of Wisconsin in
the United States is a sister city of Morogoro as designated by Sister Cities
International.[10] Morogoro is also twinned with Linköping in Sweden and Vaasa
in Finland.[citation needed]
Fuel tanker explosion[edit]
On 10 August 2019, a fuel tanker exploded in the
town, killing at least 71 people and injuring at least 70 others.[11] The event
was one of the largest disasters of its kind to happen in Tanzania.[12]
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