African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 333: Chapter 16 Visiting Dodoma.

After a preliminary investigation, Ramoskato considered that Nairobi had great potential. According to his idea, maybe more business beyond the textile industry could be developed here. Of course, if coal mines were found in Kitui, that would be even better. The main point is, Nairobi currently has no competitors aside from the East African officials; most of the colleagues are packed into Mombasa.

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On March 28th, the discontent of Paris citizens erupted. The armed Paris citizens seized control of Paris, decisively drawing a line with the traitorous French government. On the same day, King Constantine of East Africa began his inspection of the inland city Dodoma.

As the former capital of Tanzania, Dodoma’s position in East Africa could be summarized as a ”key transportation hub, a strategic military point.” Conversely, it is quite ordinary, with nothing remarkable to boast about.

The truth is, even as the previous capital of Tanzania, Dodoma could not compete with Dar es Salaam. The president spends more time in Dar es Salaam than Dodoma, and many government agencies are unwilling to relocate to Dodoma. Dodoma, the nominal capital, resembles more a secondary seat to Dar es Salaam.

The reason Dodoma could become Tanzania’s capital is its location at the geometric center of Tanzanian territory. However, the geometric center of the East African Kingdom’s territory is now in Mbeya City, and Dodoma’s positioning in East Africa is as a transportation hub. Yet, East Africa has more than one transportation hub on par with Dodoma.

Currently, Dodoma serves as the provincial capital of the Highland Province and simultaneously as the agricultural trade and goods distribution center. The Highland Province primarily focuses on agriculture and livestock, with a population of just a mere twenty thousand (excluding indigenous people). Among the earliest developed batch of cities in East Africa, Dodoma’s development is not outstanding.

The area’s average annual rainfall ranges between four hundred to six hundred millimeters, forming a rainfall depression on the East African plateau, with higher rainfall in all surrounding directions.

Hence, the savannah climate is quite prominent. Livestock farming is more developed, with crops mainly consisting of drought-resistant varieties like wheat, corn, sesame, potatoes, and cotton.

King Constantine visited Dodoma mainly to experience the differences between East Africa’s inland plateau climate regions and coastal areas.

Upon arrival in Dodoma, Constantine and his entourage did not rush to the city but first observed local agricultural development accompanied by local officials.

Constantine: ”Compared to the First Town, the climate in Dodoma is indeed cooler. Are all highland areas in East Africa like this?”

Sivert: ”Yes, Your Majesty, I’ve been to many regions of East Africa, and all the highland areas have this climate. However, Dodoma City has a significant difference in rainfall compared to other highland areas, which is also a shortcoming in the agricultural development of Dodoma.”

The Governor of Highland Province, Guderian, supplemented: ”Although the rainfall is relatively low, this has also created differences in agricultural development between Dodoma City and the entire Highland Province compared to other regions in East Africa. The cool and dry weather has established Highland Province as the top potato-producing region nationwide, and the quality of crops like wheat in Highland Province is also quite superior. The livestock farming industry in Highland Province is the most developed area in East Africa.”

Governor Guderian has considerable experience in growing potatoes. He comes from rural Lower Saxony in Germany, one of the main potato-producing areas in Germany.

Regarding livestock farming, Highland Province has a clear advantage. Although its area cannot compare with the northern pastures of East Africa, its rainfall conditions overall exceed the northern pastures (mainly Eastern Province, Turkana Province, and Juba Province). In terms of national animal power output, it surpasses the northern pastures. However, the northern pastures hold an advantage over Highland Province in meat exports, utilizing the convenience of coastal transport through Mombasa and Kismayo ports to export to Europe and the Middle East and other consumer areas.

Constantine: ”The climate here is indeed very similar to the Prussia region.”

Guderian: ”Yes, Your Majesty. The annual average temperature of Lower Saxony and the Highland are both around 17 degrees. However, Highland Province is more balanced; there are no winter and summer, with little temperature fluctuation throughout the year. Yet, the daily temperature variation here is greater than in Lower Saxony, and the rainfall is similar, though Lower Saxony is more balanced than Highland Province.”

Constantine: ”So the issue of rainfall cannot be ignored; East Africa’s rainfall is inherently more unstable than Germany’s, and there is far less water infrastructure. To further improve East Africa’s agricultural production conditions, we must undertake water conservation projects.”

Sivert: ”We have continuously promoted this aspect. Every year, infrastructure construction is one of the government’s top concerns. Almost whenever we have time, we gather local slave labor to build canals and farmland irrigation systems.”

Constantine: ”Indeed, besides this, we must build more reservoirs to store rainwater during the rainy season to secure agricultural and domestic water use during the dry season.”

Sivert: ”Your Majesty, this is a massive project. Currently, there are technical challenges, and it can only be accomplished gradually with human labor.”

Constantine: ”No need to rush this matter. It can be achieved over generations; there will always come a day when it is completed.”

After observing local agricultural development, everyone entered Dodoma City.

Its scale is much smaller than the First Town; the buildings and roads are quite undeveloped. However, it still maintains the clean and tidy characteristic of East African cities. Despite many roads still being gravel, they are very smooth, with no dry branches and leaves in the drainage ditches on both sides, clearly showing dedicated cleaning.

Guderian: ”Dodoma City connects to the Central Province, Mbeya, Kigoma, Mwanza, and Arusha, providing convenient and efficient transportation apart from the road to Arusha City, which is under construction. The road conditions to other regions are good.”

The road from Dodoma to Arusha began construction only at the end of last year, mainly due to the change of capital from Karatuu to Arusha in the northern Kilimanjaro Province (previously the Northern Highland Province).

Constantine: ”Dodoma, as one of the transportation hubs in the Tanganyika area, is very important. Highland Province must always ensure the smoothness of major roads within the province.”

Guderian: ”Yes, Your Majesty. Rest assured, we organize personnel to inspect roads daily.”

Subsequently, Constantine visited ordinary resident families in Dodoma City. As the agricultural trade and goods distribution center, most citizens rely on this for employment.

Agricultural products from Highland Province and the more inland Hohenzollern Province are transferred here, then shipped to Dar es Salaam for export.

The northern Kilimanjaro Province relies on Tanga port, while most northern provinces rely on Mombasa port. Provinces along the Great Lakes Region first concentrate agricultural products through lake transport to Kisumu, then through Nairobi, and finally export via Mombasa.

In the south, including regions like Zambia and Zimbabwe, transfers occur in Kalonga of South Salzburg, then via Lake Malawi to Sea Lake Province, utilizing river transport on the Lufuma River, eventually arriving at Mtwara port for export.

Multiple major East African trade routes do not pass through Dodoma, which indicates that although Dodoma is a transportation hub, its importance is not significant.