Joseph Isangura
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed the Ministry of Transport to fast-track negotiations with investors to complete a long-delayed government railway maintenance depot in Kigoma, describing the facility as a critical component of Tanzania’s expanding Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) network.
Speaking on July 20, 2026, after laying the foundation stone for the Tabora–Kigoma SGR project, President Samia instructed Transport Minister Prof. Makame Mbarawa to work closely with investors and finalize contractual arrangements to ensure the depot is completed and becomes operational without further delay.
The planned maintenance depot is expected to play a strategic role in servicing SGR locomotives and rolling stock operating in western Tanzania, reducing maintenance costs and strengthening the long-term efficiency of the national railway system.
The President said the government is committed not only to constructing modern transport infrastructure but also to ensuring that supporting facilities are developed simultaneously to maximize the benefits of the multibillion-shilling investment.
The Tabora–Kigoma SGR line forms part of Tanzania’s wider railway modernization programme, which aims to connect the Port of Dar es Salaam with the country’s western regions and neighboring landlocked countries, improving trade, passenger transport and regional integration.
During her visit, President Samia also inspected maritime infrastructure at the Port of Kigoma, where she received a briefing from Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Director General Plasduce Mbossa on ongoing projects to construct and rehabilitate vessels serving Lake Tanganyika. The initiatives are expected to improve transport links with neighboring countries, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.
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Addressing residents, the President urged wananchi to protect public infrastructure, warning that acts of vandalism against railways, ports and roads would undermine national development and directly harm communities that stand to benefit from the projects.
“These investments are being made for the benefit of Tanzanians. Any destruction of this infrastructure is not a loss to the government alone—it is a loss to every citizen,” she said.
The government has identified transport infrastructure as a cornerstone of its economic transformation agenda, with major investments in rail, ports, roads and aviation intended to lower logistics costs, stimulate industrial growth and position Tanzania as a regional transport and trade hub.
The launch of the Tabora–Kigoma SGR section marks another milestone in the country’s ambitious railway expansion programme, bringing the western corridor closer to integration with the national SGR network and strengthening Tanzania’s role as a gateway for regional commerce across East and Central Africa.
