Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu on Saturday, May 20, inaugurated a new State House domiciled in Chamwino, Dodoma - a facility that is hailed for promoting city's status as the country's capital.
The construction began in 2020 during late President John Magufuli's regime after he laid the foundation stone.
According to records, the former regime had allocated over three billion Tanzanian shillings - which converts to an estimated Ksh175 million for the project.
The new State House is 200 times bigger than the current state building located in Dar es Salaam.
Kenyans online questioned the architectural concept of the new building - with some poking holes into the design of the premises that sits on 8,473 acres or 34-kilometre square piece of land.
"It should be an international school or group of schools," read a comment by Oscar Gavala.
"(It's a) very shoddy architecture for the intended purpose. The structure looks fit for a modern secondary school or college," James Kale indicated.
"Are there no architects in Tanzania?" Wilson Opere questioned.
The majority heaped praise and drew comparisons with Kenya's State House - indicating the magnificent structure despite being over a century old.
"Kenya's statehouse evokes pure artistry involved in its construction. The columns and the curves in the windows speak volumes. I also love the tastefully well-manicured lawns.
"Tanzanian statehouse is grand but functional. Apart from the Swahili architecture, it's boring to the eyes. The landscape lacks character and the length and breadth of the building lack life," Eric Obara pointed out.
Tanzania State House History
During Magufuli's reign, he hailed the structure as the largest State House in Africa - indicating that the structure cemented the late President Julius Nyerer's vision to shift the State offices to Dodoma.
The Dar es Salaam's State House was constructed by the German administration in 1893 and served as a governor's palace.
The building, which had three wings was, however, brought down during World War I. The British administration, rehabilitated the facility in 1922.
Former president Mwalimu Julius Nyerere also upgraded the structure to include six wings within the space. He, however, sought a new structure to be constructed and capture all important details including the appearance of the Dar es Salaam building.
According to Nyerere, the reason for the structure was purely democratic.
Kenya's State House
The State building was constructed in 1907 during the colonial period and was referred to as the Government House. The brains behind the design was attributed to British architect Herbert Baker who is renowned for constructing parliament buildings in South Africa.
He later designed the Supreme Court of Kenya, Kenya Railways Central Station and Nairobi School.
