• Tanzania plans to commission the MV Mwanza ferry on January 23, 2026, enhancing regional connectivity and supporting cross-border trade.

• The vessel can carry 1,200 passengers, 400 tons of cargo, 20 light vehicles, and three trucks, linking ports in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

• The ferry cost 120 billion Tanzanian shillings ($46.9 million) and is part of Tanzania’s broader strategy to develop an integrated transport and logistics network.

Tanzania will officially launch operations of the locally constructed MV Mwanza ferry on Lake Victoria on January 23, 2026, according to local media reports. The vessel will facilitate passenger and cargo transport across the lake, reinforcing regional trade and connectivity.

The MV Mwanza can accommodate 1,200 passengers, 400 tons of cargo, 20 light vehicles, and three trucks. It will connect Bukoba port with other Tanzanian ports, the Kenyan port of Kisumu, and the Ugandan ports of Port Bell and Jinja.

Built by two South Korean firms at the Mwanza shipyard, the ferry cost an estimated 120 billion Tanzanian shillings ($46.9 million). Tanzanian authorities present the project as a tool to strengthen national public transport capacity, improve supply chain performance, and facilitate cross-border commerce in the East African region.

The initiative aligns with Tanzania’s broader strategy to establish an integrated transport and logistics network, combining road, rail, maritime, and inland waterway corridors. In line with this vision, Dar es Salaam has intensified investments in port modernization and the standard-gauge railway (SGR) network, which aims to boost connectivity with landlocked countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Henoc Dossa