• Tanzania opens Kwala dry port July 31 to ease Dar es Salaam congestion.
• Rail link boosts trade with Rwanda, Burundi, and DRC.
• Part of broader logistics and infrastructure upgrade.

Tanzania is further strengthening its logistics system with the operationalization of the Kwala dry port, set for official inauguration on Thursday, July 31, 2025. Agreements for its operation were signed Monday, July 29, involving seven entities: the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corp. (TASAC), Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), Tanzania Railways Corp. (TRC), Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Tanzania Shipping Agents Association (TASAA), Tanzania East Africa Gateway Terminal Ltd. (TEAGL), and DP World.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the dry port was built to relieve chronic congestion at the Dar es Salaam hub, which has suffered for several years. Located in the Pwani region, east-central Tanzania, this new platform is expected to absorb up to 30% of freight currently handled at Dar es Salaam, significantly reducing pressure on coastal infrastructure.

The Kwala dry port connects to the modernized central railway network operated by TRC. This connection will enable faster transport of containers to Tanzania's interior and to landlocked regional countries such as Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This interconnection aims to optimize transit times, improve cargo traceability, and increase the competitiveness of the Central Corridor, a major logistics route in East Africa.

The Kwala dry port is part of a broader strategy to transform Tanzania's logistics system into an integrated ecosystem. It complements several ongoing projects, including port expansions, the development of both the standard gauge railway (SGR) and the meter gauge railway, and the establishment of multimodal logistics platforms.

Henoc Dossa