Tanzania in talks with Chinese investor to revive Bagamoyo Port, says President Samia

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has said that the Government has begun talks to revive the Bagamoyo Port construction project.

She however said national interest will be of priority as they hold the talks.

President Samia was speaking on June 26, 2021 during the 12th Summit of Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), where she is the Chairman.

“Regarding the Bagamoyo Port project, let me give you the good news that we have started talks to revive the whole project. We are going to start talks with the investors that came for the project with the aim of opening it for the benefit of our nation,” she said and added;

“As for Mchuchuma and Liganga, I have given instructions, the government is in talks with the Investors to see what the problem is, the government can dedicate itself because the Investor has given up and now steel prices in the world market has risen, it is time to speed up the project.”

The $10 billion Bagamoyo project construction was suspended by late president, John Magufuli on January, 2016.

The project, which broke ground four years ago and was set to be run by China Merchants Holding International (CMHI,, would have been the largest port in East Africa and was a key component in China’s $900-billion Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious transnational infrastructure building program.

He accused the Chinese project backers of presenting “exploitative and awkward” terms in exchange for financing. Chinese financiers set “tough conditions that can only be accepted by mad people,”

“They told us once they build the port, there should be no other port to be built all the way from Tanga to Mtwara south,” said Magfuli and added;

 “They want us to give them a guarantee of 33 years and a lease of 99 years, and we should not question whoever comes to invest there once the port is operational. They want to take the land as their own but we have to compensate them for drilling construction of that port.”

Magufuli also argued the construction of Bagamoyo port, whose foundation stone was laid by his predecessor Jakaya Kikwete, would undermine the ongoing $522-million expansion of Dar es Salaam port that would enable it triple its current capacity when complete by the end of 2019.

In addition, Magufuli said the $50-million given out to compensate those displaced by the new port project “did not reach the beneficiaries in Bagamoyo but was diverted to benefit few individuals in Dar es Salaam.”