KIGONGO, Tanzania — In a moment of national pride and regional significance, Tanzania officially opened the Kigongo–Busisi Bridge on June 19, 2025, a vast infrastructure project stretching 3.2 kilometers across Lake Victoria, now the longest bridge in East Africa.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, held under a bright sky on the lakeshore in Mwanza Region, was attended by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, cabinet ministers, foreign dignitaries, and thousands of locals who had long awaited the transformation of a route once dominated by slow, weather-dependent ferries.
Known informally as the “Magufuli Bridge”—a nod to the late President John Magufuli, who championed the project before his death in 2021—the bridge connects the towns of Kigongo and Busisi, drastically reducing travel time across the bay from 35 minutes to just 4 minutes by vehicle.
“This bridge is more than concrete and steel—it is a symbol of what Tanzanians can build when we trust in our own capacity,” President Samia said in her address.
“It will serve as a lifeline for trade, healthcare access, education, and national unity.”
Built by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the project cost over TZS 700 billion (approx. $280 million) and is expected to handle more than 1,600 vehicles per day. For years, the only way to cross the Mwanza Gulf involved unreliable ferry services—often overwhelmed and sometimes suspended during storms.
The bridge now offers a permanent, weatherproof link between northern Tanzania and the country’s vital central corridor.
Economists believe the bridge will revolutionize transport and logistics across the Lake Zone and into neighboring countries, including Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also strengthens Tanzania’s bid to become a regional trade hub through multimodal transport investments.
“This is a game changer for Mwanza,” said Judith Nyang’oro, a small-scale trader in the region.
“We used to wait hours for ferries. Now, with a motorbike or a van, I can deliver produce directly and return the same day.”
The inauguration comes as Tanzania accelerates other major infrastructure projects, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the Rumakali Hydroelectric Power Plant, aimed at powering manufacturing and creating jobs.
Still, not all commentary has been celebratory. Critics argue that the bridge’s price tag is steep for a country still grappling with inflation, rising debt, and constrained healthcare services in rural areas.
Others point to opaque procurement processes and limited environmental impact disclosures during early construction phases.
Government officials maintain that the economic returns and long-term impact will far outweigh the initial costs.
As the first trucks rolled across the six-lane span on Wednesday, horn blasts echoed across Lake Victoria—signaling not just the end of a ferry era, but the beginning of a new chapter in Tanzanian infrastructure.
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