THE Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has orchestrated significant operational changes in Lake Victoria ports during President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s first year in office, resulting in increased social and economic productivity.
President Samia, a charismatic leader with her slogan of ‘Kazi Iendelee’ literally translated ‘let the work continue’, has demonstrated her quest to realize more socioeconomic benefits from the country’s ports.
After assuming the presidency, Samia gave the TPA a 500bn/- war chest to improve the efficiency of the country’s terminals by purchasing modern facilities, including cargo handling tools.
Speaking to the ‘Daily News’ in Mwanza recently, Lake Victoria Acting Port Manager, Fransisco Mwanga said part of the money was used to upgrade existing ports on the largest lake in Africa and the second-largest fresh water lake in the world.
He said they have benefited from the money by purchasing various equipment including a heavy cargo loading machine for loading and unloading cargo to a ship capable of carrying 50 tonnes of load, 100 tonnes cargo weighing machine installed at Mwanza Port and five other small ones placed at different ports in the lake, signaling potential business area for traders and any investor to tap.
Since the 1900s, Lake Victoria ferries have been an important means of transport between Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya and to enhance this, Mr Mwanga said the improvements made to the ports have increased productivity and efficiency.
According to Mr Mwanga, during 2020/2021 financial year, Mwanza port catered for 172,422 tonnes of cargoes, estimated as 88 per cent against the target of 195,200 tonnes and 1, 425,151 passengers and 2,092 vessels against a 1,091 target.
In addition, Mwanga said in the first half of the 2021/2022 financial year (July to December), 175,400 tonnes of cargo equivalent to 110 per cent was served against the target of 91,434 tonnes, while a total of 801, 600 passengers were served.
According to Lake Victoria Port Engineer, Khamisi Mohamed, the sixth-phase government has invested 11.24bn/- for the upgrading of TPA-managed ports in the lake.
He said the improvements made include the construction of piers, construction and upgrading of port buildings, expansion of passenger buildings in the ports of Mwanza and Bukoba, where in Mwanza the building has been expanded to be able to accommodate 400 passengers at a time unlike before 100, while in Bukoba it currently hosts 450 passengers instead of 150 it used to cater for.
His list included the construction of railways and bridges used to accommodate train carriages within the shipyard, where more than 22 carriages are loaded into one ship in a short period of time.
Mr Mohamed said in Lake Victoria, there are six major ports and seven smaller ones that have been developed by the TPA since President Samia came into power. He named the ships making routine voyages in the lake as the MV Victoria traveling between Mwanza-BukobaKemondo, and MV Butiama plying between Mwanza-Nansio- Ukerewe and a speedboat for Mwanza-Nansio route.
On foreign ships that also ply in the lake and docking in Mwanza, the port engineer listed MV Pamba and MV Kaawa of Uganda and MV Noris of Kenya, which he said have been marketing and exposing Tanzania in their respective countries.
Commenting on the security at the ports, Malon Gumbo Port Security Officer, Malon Gumbo said the safety of passengers and their cargoes has been taken care of, adding that greatly they have succeeded in controlling the smuggling of illicit goods such as cannabis.
“Safety matters are also arranged and done by the Department of Fire, Safety, Health and Environment,” he added.
He called upon Tanzanians and other residents in the East Africa bloc to use the ports along the lake for passenger and freight transport as security is adequate.
