by Ben Taylor

Mwanza: John Pombe Magufuli Bridge

On 19 June 2025, President Samia Suluhu Hassan inaugurated the 3.2 km John Pombe Magufuli Bridge, spanning an inlet of Lake Victoria in Mwanza. This cable-stayed bridge, East Africa’s longest, connects Kigongo to Busisi, slashing travel time across the lake from 35-minute ferry rides to a five-minute drive.

Costing TSh 682 billion (approximately US$280m), the Chinese-funded project includes a 35km approach road, enhancing connectivity for over one million residents in Mwanza and Geita regions. It will support enhanced trade with Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi by linking to key highways, potentially boosting agricultural and mineral exports. The bridge, with a 32m clearance for maritime traffic, supports 3,500 daily vehicles, easing congestion and cutting logistics costs by up to 20%.

President Samia hailed it as a “game-changer” for regional integration, projecting 5,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The bridge took approximately six years to construct. Construction began in 2019 following the signing of a contract in 2018 with a Chinese consortium led by the China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group and China Railway No. 8 Engineering Group. It was originally envisaged to be completed in 2022, as outlined in early government announcements and contractor agreements, but delays due to logistical challenges, including land acquisition for the 35 km approach roads, and technical complexities extended the timeline by approximately three years.

SGR developments – and further promises
In July 2025, President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched electric freight services on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, a 460 km stretch. Kwala Dry Port, located inland about 80km west of Dar es Salaam has also been opened, serving landlocked countries including Rwanda, DRC, Uganda and Malawi and aiming to reduce cargo transit times from several days by road to under 12 hours by rail, with trains carrying up to 10,000 tonnes.

The SGR expansion will comprise 2,561km of electrified standard gauge rail by 2027, connecting Dar es Salaam to Lake Victoria and to Rwanda’s border, also enhancing trade with the DRC and Uganda.

The 2025/26 budget increased railway funding by 29% to TSh 2.28 trillion, supporting electrification and rolling stock acquisition. The Mwanza section, with 14 trains and 249 wagons, is expected to support

1.2 million tonnes of cargo yearly, cutting transport costs by 40% for minerals and crops. Total investment to date exceeds US$10 billion, primarily funded by Chinese loans and development partners like the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Building on the success – and popularity – of the new networks, CCM has included several new plans in their 2025 manifesto.

Completed SGR stages
• Dar es Salaam to Morogoro (300 km): Operational since 2022; electric trains cut travel time to two hours.
• Morogoro to Dodoma (/Makutupora, just outside Dodoma, 200 km): Completed and operational since March 2025; integrates with the full Dar-Dodoma route (total 541 km).

SGR Stages underway:
• Makutupora to Tabora (368 km): 14% complete as of June 2025.
• Tabora to Isaka (165 km): 7% complete; early civil works ongoing.
• Isaka to Mwanza (341 km): 63% complete; freight trials started in June

2025, full operations expected by late 2026.
• Tabora to Kigoma (506 km): 15% complete; US$2.2 billion contract with Chinese firms targets 2026 completion.
• Tanzania-Burundi Extension (Uvinza to Musongati, 282 km): Construction launched in August 2025 under a US$2.15 billion contract with China Railway Engineering Group.

New pledges:
• New northern corridor (Tanga to Musoma via Arusha/Moshi, 1,028 km): Announced January 2025 and included in CCM 2025-2030 manifesto; feasibility studies underway, lacks confirmed financing.
• Southern route (Mtwara to Mbamba Bay via Songea and Ludewa, ~500 km): Conceptual stage to serve mineral-rich areas like Liganga-Mchuchuma; no financing secured.
• Broader regional links (eg. to Rwanda/DRC) depend on Burundi completion; AfDB has pledged US$3.05 billion overall but gaps remain for extensions.
• Urban / commuter rail networks for Dar es Salaam and Dodoma: included in CCM manifesto.

Ongoing Air Tanzania plans
The CCM manifesto also includes further expansion plans for Air Tanzania. This includes the acquisition of 10 new wide-body aircraft (eg. Boeing 787 Dreamliners) by 2028, funded through public-private partnerships and loans from development banks like the African Development Bank. This builds on recent deliveries of three Boeing 787-8s in 2024.

CCM also pledged to establish a dedicated aviation fund (TSh 500 billion initial allocation) for ATC’s restructuring, including debt relief and performance-based incentives. This also includes improving on-time performance from 65% to 90% via digital booking systems and staff training for 1,000 employees.