Ndugai asks govt to explain lack of progress on Bagamoyo port project

What you need to know:

  • The Bagamoyo project framework agreement was signed on March 24, 2013 to enhance competition along the East African coast and supplement the Tanzanian ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara.

 Dodoma. Speaker of the National Assembly Job Ndugai has asked the government today to explain why the construction of Bagamoyo mega port in the Coastal Region has been stalled despite signing an agreement with a Chinese contractor.

The Bagamoyo project framework agreement was signed on March 24, 2013 to enhance competition along the East African coast and supplement the Tanzanian ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara.

Mr Ndugai was forced to seek explanation from the government after several Members of the Parliament (MPs) queried the reason behind the stalling of the multibillion dollar project.

They were contributing to the Sh4.9 trillion budget proposal of the ministry of Works, Transport and Communications, which is under Minister Isack Kamwelwe.

Rufiji MP Mohamed Mchengelwa (CCM) had asked the Speaker to form a committee, to probe problems surrounding the construction of the port.

According to him, having a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) without first having a modern port was useless.

The Speaker then asked Mr Kamwelwe to come up with thorough explanations in the evening after his ministry’s budget debate.