Tanzania and Burundi don finally kick off work on a 240-kilometre standard gauge railway (SGR) wey go run from Uvinza for Tanzania reach Musongati for Burundi. The groundbreaking ceremony, led by Tanzania Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, mark the first-ever cross-border electrified railway for East Africa.
The project, valued at $2.15 billion, go take about five years to complete. According to Majaliwa, the line go change how people and goods dey move in the region. “Today, e dey take trucks almost four days to reach Bujumbura from Dar es Salaam. With this railway, the journey go drop to just 20 hours,” him talk proudly. He add say the line go open fresh investment opportunities and make trade between the two countries smoother.
Burundi President, Evariste Ndayishimiye, describe the railway as a long-awaited dream. He point out how Burundi get plenty mineral wealth, especially nickel, but investors dey always worry about how to transport them. “This railway na the answer wey we don dey wait for,” he declare, thanking Tanzania for the strong partnership. He even share bigger plans to extend the line reach Democratic Republic of Congo and possibly to the Atlantic coast, turning it into a continental trade route.
The construction dey handled by China Railway Group Limited, with full electrification and international standard gauge. The project go cover 156 km from Uvinza to Malagarasi in Tanzania, and another 84 km from Malagarasi to Musongati in Burundi. Once completed, the railway no only go reduce transport costs but also allow Burundi export its minerals directly through the Dar es Salaam port, boosting their economy big time.
For the bigger picture, this railway na part of East Africa’s larger infrastructure push to connect landlocked nations to global markets. By cutting travel time, powering trade, and opening new doors for industries, the Uvinza–Musongati line fit really change the economic map of the region.
