MWANZA: PUTTING transport stakeholders’ recommendations into practice and providing immediate feedback on their concerns are among the techniques for making the Central Corridor more productive.
Among them is the designation of a specific port for dirty cargo in the Mwanza region, with enough space to accommodate piles of cargo, compared to the current Mwanza South port.
They proposed the Kigongo area along Lake Victoria for dirty cargo, which previously served as a ferrying station between Misungwi and Sengerema districts, before the construction of John Pombe Magufuli’s bridge.
Not only because Kigongo has enough space, but it is also an outskirt that could help in controlling traffic jams and environmental pollution in the city, where the current dirty cargo port is located.
Again, as Kigogo has happened to be the port for ferries, some infrastructures are there, needing only renovation for dirty cargo businesses, the stakeholders proposed during the recent “Opening Opportunities in Lake Victoria’ meeting, which was organized by the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) in the region.
Director of the Qwihaya Company Limited, which deals with coal mining and exportation, Mr Leonard Qwihaya, stressed that Mwanza South doesn’t fit dirty cargo because, apart from the limited space, it is also substandard.
“As loaders force the cargo to fit in the available space, the coal crumbles away and loses weight, with some of it even going deep into the ground to cause serious loss to us,” he said, complaining further that: Due to limited space, the loading takes so long, while penalties are still imposed on traders after a-14-day free storage period; hence, a loss that discourages transporters.
He reiterated that Kigongo is much better as it will be providing room for full-time businesses, with investors bringing additional stocks, provided that coal extraction becomes complex during rainy seasons.
“The holes in extraction sites become full of water to indefinitely stop the mining,” he said, proposing further that the storage at Kigongo should be free due to limited cargo vessels for timely exportation.
Director for Mkombozi Fishing and Marine Transport Company, Mr Ibrahimu Chacha, called for a quick response to stakeholders’ concerns that have been submitted to the government, recalling how it still takes him so long to secure the permit for the shipyard building.
He expressed his desire to invest in shipbuilding in the Lake Zone, to the extent that he has been convincing his children to engage in engineering-related studies, with some having already graduated, in efforts to fight the shortage of experts Tanzania faces.
According to his observation, it is a lack of cooperation among relevant authorities, as the City Council has already given him the ‘go-ahead’, with obstacles coming from other organs, mostly environmentalists who force him to set up the yard ship 60 meters away from Lake Victoria.
What he knew was that the shipyard should be very adjacent to water, to smooth the vessel descending (into water) up on its completion. “In this matter of shipyard business, 60 meters away is impossible,” he said.
The Director kept on lamenting feedback delays from the government, explaining how he was also still waiting for the permit to upgrade the two ports he owns along Kirumba and Igogo beaches, as preventive measures against the possible El Niño negatives.
Representative of the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (CCTTFA), Mr Msumbuko Dean de Dieu, commented that achieving an efficient and competitive Corridor requires the continued commitment and close collaboration of all stakeholders, including port authorities, customs administrations, transport and railway operators, border agencies, dry ports, cargo owners and other service providers.
He added that while identifying challenges is an important first step, the real value of that engagement lies in the solutions stakeholders collectively develop and the progress they make in implementing them.
This calls for sustained dialogue, mutual understanding and a shared commitment to addressing operational bottlenecks in a timely and effective manner, stressed the Representative.
In this regard, he added, continued efforts to harmonise procedures, strengthen digital systems, improve information sharing and monitor border-crossing times will be essential to reducing unnecessary delays and transport costs while enhancing the predictability and reliability of transport and logistics services.
“Today’s meeting provides another important opportunity to continue our collective efforts, with a particular focus on transport and port services on Lake Victoria. Our shared objective should be to translate these discussions into tangible results that strengthen trade and transport connectivity and improve the overall performance of the Central Corridor,” he said.
TPA’s Director for Marketing and Relation, Mr George Fasha, said that the authority works closely with stakeholders, a reason why the cargo volume keeps on increasing.
He provided the vivid example that in 2025/2026, TPA served about 39.8 million tons of cargo, compared to 32.7 million tons in the previous financial year.
The success indicates the client’s trust in TPA, improved infrastructure and significant stakeholders’ involvement to facilitate business and transport operations, he said.
“The Mwanza North and South ports have a strategic chance to open and coordinate markets of the neighbouring countries. The ports are an important bridge to enhance businesses at borders, to fuel production and increase employment opportunities, as well as strengthening social and economic development for Lake Zone people and the nation at large,” he said.
According to him, more fruits are anticipated in the Central Corridor after completion of the Standard Gauge Railway construction, on progress, through which cargo transportation will take roughly eight hours from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza.
The Manager for Lake Zone ports, Ms Rosemary Ndesamburo, supported the motion, saying much more is also anticipated as major ports renovation projects, mostly in Mwanza and Kagera regions, are almost complete.
The projects have involved expansion of berths, an increase in water depth, as well as passenger lounges at Mwanza North port (in Mwanza), Kemondo and Bukoba ports (in Kagera), to let them accommodate large ships.
The two ports in Kagera are fully complete, with implementation at Mwanza North port being at over 80 per cent, she said, assuring that the ports will be able to accommodate up to five major and modern ships at once, including the newly built MV Mwanza.
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