Blue Economy
Tanzania Commissions Africa’s Largest Freshwater Vessel, MV New Mwanza, to Reshape Lake Victoria Trade
Tanzania Commissions Africa’s Largest Freshwater Vessel, MV New Mwanza, to Reshape Lake Victoria Trade
By Okeoghene Onoriobe, Research Reporter, Waterways News
Tanzania has taken a historic step in Africa’s inland waterways sector with the commissioning of the MV New Mwanza — the biggest inland freshwater passenger and Ro-Pax ship in Africa — officially launched on January 23, 2026, at the port of Mwanza on Lake Victoria.
The vessel was commissioned during a ceremony led by Prime Minister Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba and attended by Minister of Works and Transport Prof. Makame Mbarawa, senior government officials, and regional leaders.
The MV New Mwanza can carry 1,200 passengers and 400 tonnes of cargo, including heavy trucks and light vehicles, significantly expanding capacity for both commercial logistics and passenger transport. Measuring 92.6 metres in length and 17 metres wide, the ship is nearly the size of a football pitch and stands as tall as a four-storey building.
Built at a cost of approximately $51.8 million, construction of the vessel commenced in 2019, spearheaded by two South Korean companies, Gas Entec and KangNam Corporation, with local input from Tanzanian construction firm Songoro Marine Transport.
Tashico Chief Executive Officer Eric Hamissi said the construction went beyond delivering a modern vessel and helped build local technical capacity, providing hands-on training for Tanzanians in areas such as design, hull assembly, launching, and trial voyages.
In total, 2,000 locals received formal training under South Korean engineers during the construction period
The ship’s specifications are remarkable by any standard. With a top speed of 16 knots, the vessel is expected to cut travel time between Mwanza and Bukoba — which previously took eight to ten hours — to roughly six to seven hours. It has four decks and is integrated with Tanzania’s recently developed Standard Gauge Railway, meaning cargo arriving at Dar es Salaam Port can be transported directly to Mwanza by rail and loaded onto the ship, creating a seamless supply chain corridor to landlocked Uganda and Rwanda.
The ship will serve key routes connecting Tanzanian ports such as Mwanza, Bukoba, and Musoma with Uganda’s Port Bell and Jinja, as well as Kenya’s Kisumu port.
On trade economics, the impact is potentially transformative. Ferrying fuel to Uganda by water could cost as low as $25 per cubic meter, compared to over $40 by road, according to government estimates.
Transport Minister Prof. Makame Mbarawa assured passengers and traders that affordability and safety would remain central to operations, with Tashico ensuring reliable schedules, passenger safety, maintenance, cleanliness, and professional staff. The ship is equipped with advanced facilities including a passenger lift, an onboard medical clinic, special seating for pregnant and breastfeeding passengers, air conditioning, and waste management systems.
Tanzania has also indicated that skills gained during the construction of MV New Mwanza will be applied to other shipbuilding projects, including vessels earmarked to serve on Lake Tanganyika, linking the country with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Zambia
Prime Minister Nchemba described the vessel as a symbol of Tanzania’s industrial and technical capability, stating that Lake Victoria connects regional economies and that the ship should “support trade, promote economic diplomacy, and strengthen cooperation with our neighbours.”
For a continent where inland waterways remain largely underutilised, the MV New Mwanza signals a new direction — one where African nations invest in their own blue economy infrastructure to drive regional integration and sustainable commerce.