Gateway to regional markets

• Samia launches Tabora-Kigoma SGR
• Trade, logistics hub vision gathers pace

KIGOMA: TANZANIA yesterday moved a step closer to its ambition of becoming a regional trade and logistics hub after President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched construction of the 506-kilometre Tabora-Kigoma Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), the latest link in the country’s expanding modern rail network.

The 2.7-billion US dollar (about 6.23tri/-) project will connect the lakeside region to Tabora, Dodoma, Morogoro and Dar es Salaam, while linking the western region to the national SGR network extending to Mwanza, strengthening Tanzania’s position as a gateway for regional trade.

Laying the foundation stone for the project in Kigoma yesterday, President Samia said the railway fulfils a promise she made to residents during her 2022 visit that Kigoma would no longer remain the end of the railway line but become an important transport corridor connecting Tanzania with neighbouring countries.

She said the project forms part of the government’s broader strategy of investing in modern transport infrastructure to unlock economic opportunities and position the country as a regional logistics hub.

“Our country is strategically located as a trade gateway for neighbouring states. Whenever we build railways, airports, ports or roads, we are not merely connecting our regions. We are connecting our country to market opportunities in East Africa, the Great Lakes Region, Central Africa and Southern Africa,” she said.

President Samia said Kigoma occupies a strategic geographical position linking Tanzania with Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, making the region a key gateway for trade and investment.

She said completion of the railway will significantly improve the movement of goods and people while reducing transport costs and travel time, creating new opportunities for businesses and communities across western Tanzania.

The President further said farmers will benefit from cheaper access to agricultural inputs and wider markets for their produce, while fishermen will be able to transport their catch more efficiently to domestic and regional markets.

She added that traders and entrepreneurs will enjoy lower transport costs and faster delivery of goods, helping stimulate trade, investment and economic growth.

The Head of State also said the project is expected to create thousands of jobs, particularly for young people in Kigoma, through railway construction and related economic activities, urging residents to prepare themselves to seize the opportunities that will emerge.

ALSO READ: Dr Samia graces Tabora–Kigoma SGR project with call to uphold peace as and security

“I told the people of Kigoma in 2022 that Kigoma would no longer be the end of the railway, but an important transport hub. Today’s project is part of fulfilling that promise and opening up greater economic opportunities for Kigoma and the nation,” she said.

President Samia thanked development partners for supporting the project, saying the investment demonstrates growing confidence in Tanzania’s infrastructure agenda and long-term economic prospects. She also stressed the importance of safeguarding strategic infrastructure, noting that the government has committed trillions of shillings to modern transport projects.

“This investment represents substantial public resources. It is therefore our collective responsibility to protect this infrastructure because any destruction would not only be a loss to the government, but to every Tanzanian and future generations,” she said.

She called on citizens and security agencies to work together to ensure peace and security, saying sustainable development depends on protecting national investments.

Earlier, Minister for Transport Prof Makame Mbarawa said the Tabora-Kigoma SGR section is one of the government’s flagship infrastructure projects aimed at creating an integrated transport system linking production centres with domestic and regional markets.

He said the railway will strengthen connectivity between western Tanzania and the rest of the country while enhancing regional trade with neighbouring countries.

“The government’s continued investment in transport infrastructure is intended to establish an integrated transport system that connects production areas with markets within and outside the country,” Prof Mbarawa said.

He said the ministry will continue working with development partners and the private sector to ensure timely implementation of strategic transport projects, while maintaining an enabling environment that encourages investment and economic growth.

Prof Mbarawa assured President Samia that the ministry and its institutions will continue supervising the project professionally to ensure it is completed on schedule, meets the required standards and delivers value for public funds.