BY MBONEKO MUNYAGA
The red dust of the Serengeti and indeed, in most of Tanzania’s national parks, has always been the “signature tune” of a wild safari in the East African country, which is renowned for wildlife diversity and other natural attractions.
However, the Chairman of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), Mr Wilbard Chambulo, has made an impassioned plea for the arterial road through the Serengeti to be gravelled if Tanzania wants to up revenue from tourism, which the country has placed at the core to realise the dollars 1.0 trillion economy as envisaged under Vision 2050.
“Currently it takes up 10 hours to drive a tourist from Arusha to the Serengeti, which is economically not viable. We want tourists to spend more money here, which means longer actual stays and if necessary to replenish their purses from home to continue spending,” Mr Chambulo told a recent stakeholders meeting in Dar es Salaam for Vision 2050 amid laughter, that was attended by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The case for gravelled roads through Tanzania’s national parks has always been a contentious subject with environmentalists fearing asphalt ribbons would sever wildlife migration routes, while the more adventurous travellers hold that spine-jarring dirt tracks were part of the wilderness experience.
However, modernists like Mr Chambulo, argue that transforming the roads was inevitable and probably undeniable for economic reasons, if Tanzania wants tourism to contribute meaningfully to its share of the dollars 1.0 trillion economy in the less than 25 years ahead.
The Chairman of the Tanzania Tour Guides Association (TTGA), Mr Lembris Loipuko, supported the idea of modernising the arterial road through the Serengeti, saying it was currently used not only by tour vehicles but also by lorries and buses from the Lake Zone to northern Tanzania and beyond.
“We (tour guides) are the ones most affected by dust as it endlessly coats our lungs. Vehicles also break down constantly and as you know, spare parts for off-road cruisers are very expensive,” he told The Arusha News by phone from deep in the Serengeti.
He added that keeping roads dirt could be seen as environmentally friendly, “but if you do your maths, the country loses a lot of money buying spares, which is like trying to draw water with a bucket full of holes,” he explained.
The Coordinator of the Arusha-based Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Initiative (WECI), Mr Charles Mkuu, also supported gravelling the road through the Serengeti. For years, he said, the government had promised a hardened coating (tabaka gumu in Kiswahili), which won’t disorient animals but so far nothing has been done.
“What is happening now is that because of the bad road condition, young drivers especially, make a lot of diversions, off the main tracks, which is really damaging to the environment and an eyesore to the natural beauty of the Serengeti. There is no way out now. The road through Serengeti simply has to be gravelled in order to save the very environment that we seek to preserve and conserve,” said Mr Mkuu.
Mr Loipuko said, as we speak, the road from Seronera to Nabi and onward to Golini in the Serengeti is in poor condition, while the road from Golini to Loduare in the NCA, is even worse. He suggested that the stretches be levelled by graders at least thrice a week to make them passable.
In the meantime though, a trip to the Serengeti remains highly ecstatic with memories of a lifetime, but sadly, a feat of endurance undertaken only by the physically fit and young adults, by and large, leaving out the elderly and children for a site that boasts to be a global heritage.
Improving the roads could make one of Tanzania’s most celebrated natural attractions more accessible, while ensuring that tourism continues to benefit the country and the communities that depend on it.
