‘Kwala Dry Port move mandatory after deadline

DAR ES SALAAM: PERMANENT Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Professor Godius Kahyarara, has ordered all institutions that carry out port-related activities to immediately relocate to the Kwala Dry Port, in adherence to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s directive, whose August 4 deadline has already passed.

Prof Kahyarara gave the order on Thursday in Dar es Salaam during a meeting of transport stakeholders that was convened to discuss the implementation of the President’s directive on the use of Kwala in-land terminal.

He reminded stakeholders that the timeframe set by the President had lapsed, calling on institutions that had not yet moved their operations to comply without delay.

“The deadline has passed. We must ensure every institution required to be at Kwala has done so,” he said.

President Samia directed the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Trade and Industries to ensure all relevant port institutions are fully operational at Kwala by August 4, 2025, to facilitate smooth operations.

The move is part of broader efforts to decongest the Dar es Salaam port, lower logistics costs and boost economic activity.

Officially inaugurated on August 1, 2025, Kwala is a central part of Tanzania’s strategy to strengthen regional trade and connectivity, especially with landlinked neighbours such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Rwanda.

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Prof Kahyarara further said that the relocation process should not disrupt the operations of other institutions or the public who rely on their services.

“Our goal is to solve challenges, not create new ones. I believe you will advise on the best way to carry out this directive,” he said.

He also urged experts and stakeholders to agree on measures to improve transport efficiency and reduce truck traffic in and out of the port.

According to him, the ministry had consulted with the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) on ways to ease traffic and would also meet the Police Force to seek solutions.

“We are not traffic management experts, but drivers say there are ways to remove queues. Some suggest trucks be pulled to one side. We will discuss these ideas with our traffic colleagues,” he said.

President of the Tanzania Customs Agents Association (TACAS), Edward Urio, said the relocation to Kwala would ease congestion at the Dar es Salaam port as cargo volumes rise. He advised that the process be managed carefully to avoid increasing the cost of moving goods from the port.

“TRC charges a small fee for transporting containers to Kwala, but if return cargo from Kwala to the port is guaranteed, the cost could be reduced,” he said.

Mr Urio also proposed a designated space at Kwala for empty containers to cut urban congestion.

“Currently, we have reduced the queues of cargo trucks, but vehicles carrying empty containers still line up to offload at Kurasini, Chang’ombe and other parts of the city, a practice that continues to cause congestion in Dar es Salaam,” he said.

Assistant Regional Administrative Secretary for Industry, Trade and Investment in the Coast Region, Rehema Akida, stated that the region is prepared to upgrade Kwala’s infrastructure by providing essential services such as water, access roads and electricity supply.