Tanzania Builds Ro-Pax Vessel to Boost Regional Trade on Lake Victoria
After eight years of construction, Tanzania has finally launched an inland passenger and cargo freshwater vessel that is touted as the largest in Africa and one that was built domestically. The East African nation is hailing the launch of MV New Mwanza as a significant milestone in efforts to boost maritime transport in Lake Victoria.
Built at a cost of $51.8 million, construction of the vessel commenced in 2019, spearheaded by two South Korean companies, Gas Entec and KangNam Corporation, with local input from Tanzanian construction firm Songoro Marine Transport. Failure by the government to release funding on time resulted in significant delays in its completion despite the vessel having been floated back in 2023.
Having undergone trial voyages last year, Tanzania is now celebrating the commissioning of New Mwanza as a major achievement in efforts to strengthen regional trade, transport connectivity, and economic cooperation across the East African nations that share the Lake Victoria waters.
As Africa’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Victoria borders Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Though the lake sustains millions through fishing, passenger transport, and trade, governments in the region have long cited maritime capacity and safety as major constraints in deepening economic integration.
With the launch of New Mwanza, Tanzania is upbeat that the vessel will play an important role in supporting cross-border commerce. Measuring 92.6 meters (304 feet) in length, 17 meters (56 feet) wide, and weighing 3,500 tonnes, the ship has a capacity to carry 1,200 passengers and 400 tonnes of cargo, including heavy trucks and light vehicles. Apart from significantly expanding capacity for both commercial logistics and passenger transport, the vessel is expected to reduce the travel time connecting Kenya’s Kisumu port and the Ugandan ports of Port Bell and Jinja, owing to its speed of 16 knots.
Besides trade, the vessel is also expected to boost tourism and improve safety on one of Africa’s busiest inland waterways, thus reinforcing Lake Victoria’s role as a key economic corridor for East Africa.
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“Lake Victoria connects our economies. This vessel should support trade, promote economic diplomacy, and strengthen cooperation with our neighbors,” said Mwigulu Nchemba, Tanzania's Prime Minister. He added that the construction of the vessel in the country is a symbol of Tanzania’s industrial and technical capability.
Tanzania contends that the skills gained during the construction of New Mwanza will be applied to other shipbuilding projects, including vessels earmarked to serve on Lake Tanganyika linking the country with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Zambia.