How Pres. Magufuli’s Magic is Playing in Africa’s Biggest SGR Project

By Staff Writers, DAR and KAMPALA

President Magufuli launching the SGR last year

Railway trasport is the second most important mode of transport after road and critical for long distance freight along the main trasport corridors in the East Africa’s fastest gworing economy, Tanzania.  

By considering so, the reformist President of Tanzania, Dr. John Pombe Magufuli, is doing heavy investement on the construction of  Standard Gauge  Railway  (SGR) and improvement of another Central Rail line sketching for about 2,600 kilometres.

Mr. Kadogosa

Adressing the media in Dar es salaam on Wednesday, the Director General of Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC), Mr. Masanja Kadogosa, told reporters that  the 3 billion USD standard gauge railway construction from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma which is at 34 percent delivery, is largely financed by the government’s own coffers, thanks to Magufuli’s vision and inspiration.

Part of the SGR will be a 2.5 km overpass to avoid city traffic

“The current SGR project is split into two phases, Dar es salaam to Morogoro 300 kilometres and Morogoro to Dodoma 422 kilometres, of which the Tanzanian goverment opted to fund the project for shillings trillion  7.1 accumulated from domestic sources,” said Mr. Kadogosa. There are prospects that the second ond subsequent phases would receive a loan boost from development partners but it is yet to be confirmed.  

Giving updates regarding the project, Mr. Kadogosa said, so far the standard gauge construction, Africa’s biggest rail project so far in rail terms, has covered 10 kilometres of laying down the new rail.

The Tanzanian rail will accomodated fastest trains, and contrary to the Chinese funded Kenyan  similar line, it will host electricity train. Kenya’s SGR is run by diesel locomotives.

Construction means more jobs to locals. The Yapi Markezi constructors from Turky as leading experts have employed about 6,440 staff, out of which 6,182 are Tanzanians, equivalent  to 96 per cent. This meams more empowerment to Tanzanians.  

According to Mr. Kadogosa, the three years of  President Magufuli in the Office has brought in tremoudeous transformation in revamping the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) with more locomotives and wagons in the offing as the company also bossts its revenue base from dhilings 25 bilion to 36 bilion a year.

“Thanks to President Magufuli’s vision and investment of public funds to facilitate the huge project. In return, my team is working hard to make sure we meet the 2019 target for the Dar-Moro section and ultimately complete the Dodoma line by 2021,” emphasized Mr. Kadogosa.

Many locals here think Uganda and East Africa have lots to learn from Magufuli's magic and performance in Tanzania.