Port Overview
The Port of Kigoma is a lake port located on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika in Kigoma, Tanzania. It is the largest port on Lake Tanganyika and plays a vital role in the country's trade and transportation sector. The port is owned and operated by the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA).
The port has a single conventional berth with a length of 200 meters and a maximum draft of 5.5 meters. The port can handle a wide range of cargo, including breakbulk, and liquid goods. The port also has a dedicated liquid/oil reception facility.
The port's cargo handling equipment includes:
- Portal crane
- Forklifts
- Mobile crane
- Tug
- Weighbridge
The port also has two warehouses for the storage of cargo.
The port's main commodities handled include:
- Cement
- Fertilizer
- Steel
- Petroleum products
- Foodstuffs
The port is well-connected to the Tanzanian road and rail networks. The port is also connected to the neighboring countries of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia by ferry services.
The TPA is currently implementing several development projects at the Port of Kigoma, including the construction of a new container terminal and the rehabilitation of the existing berth. These projects are expected to increase the port's capacity and efficiency.
The Port of Kigoma is expected to play an increasingly important role in the trade and transportation of the East African region in the coming years. The port's strategic location on Lake Tanganyika makes it a key gateway to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. Overall, the Port of Kigoma is well-connected to the Tanzanian and regional transportation networks and handles a wide range of cargo.
Port website: https://www.ports.go.tz/index.php/en/ports/lake-tanganyika
Key port information may also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com
|
Port Location and Contact |
|
|---|---|
|
Country |
Tanzania |
|
Province or District |
Kigoma |
|
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port |
Kigoma (km) |
|
Port's Complete Name |
Port of Kigoma |
|
Latitude |
-4.876887 |
|
Longitude |
29.626428 |
|
Managing Company or Port Authority |
Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) |
|
Management Contact Person |
Mr. Eric B. Hamissi Managing Director +255 282503079 |
|
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures |
Kilimanjaro International Airport (1,130Km)
|
Port Picture
Description and Contacts of Key Companies
Marine Services Company Limited (MSCL) is the state-owned shipping company operating on the great lakes. MSCL has a fleet of 15 vessels for both Passengers and Cargo transportation. Nine (9) of these vessels are deployed on Lake Victoria, 3 on Lake Tanganyika and 2 on Lake Nyasa. The fleet is made up of 8 Passenger-Cargo vessels, 2 Oil Tankers, 1 Wagon Ferry, 1 Tug, 2 self-propelled barges and one tourist boat. MSCL signed contracts in October 2023 for the construction of new 3500-ton cargo vessel for operations on Lake Tanganyika, the vessel will have the capacity to load 25 long trucks or 25 modern railway wagons and 65 small cars. It will take six hours to travel from the Port of Kigoma to the Port of Kalemie in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
There are several shipping agencies operating in Kigoma port including Falcony shipping, Shegema Company Ltd and Société Nationale des chemins de fer du Congo (SNCC) part of the Congolese Railway company.
For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List.
Port Performance
Port traffic is light as there are a very limited number of vessels operating on Lake Tanganyika resulting in no waiting time and vessels are berthing on arrival. The draft of 5.5m is sufficient for the vessels currently operating on the lake. Container traffic is insignificant with annual container movements of around 300 per year.
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Seasonal Constraints |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Occurs |
Time Frame |
|
|
Rainy Season |
Yes |
October to March |
|
Major Import Campaigns |
No |
N/A |
|
Other Comments |
||
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Handling Figures for 2022/23 FY |
|
|---|---|
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Vessel Calls |
531 |
|
Container Traffic (TEUs) |
300 |
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Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2022/23 FY |
|
|---|---|
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Bulk (MT) |
|
|
Break bulk (MT) |
297,880 MT |
Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges
TPA-Tariff-Book_pub.pdf (ports.go.tz)
Berthing Specifications
|
Type of Berth |
Quantity |
Length (m) |
Maximum Draft (m) |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Conventional Berth |
3 |
100m 100m 210m |
3-5.5m |
|
|
Container Berth |
N/A |
|
||
|
Silo Berth |
N/A |
|
||
|
Berthing Tugs |
1 |
|
||
|
Water Barges |
N/A |
|
TPA with grant aid from the Government of Japan (JICA) have committed to a 5-year development plan for the port of Kigoma for the rehabilitation of this port. Under the “Project for Rehabilitation of Kigoma Port” contracts have been signed for rehabilitation of both the passenger wharf and the cargo wharf.
General Cargo Handling Berths
|
Cargo Type |
Berth Identification |
|---|---|
|
Imports - Bagged Cargo |
A-F |
|
Exports - Bagged Cargo |
N/A |
|
Imports and Exports - RoRo |
N/A |
|
Other Imports |
N/A |
Port Handling Equipment
The port is equipped with a mix of old and new handling equipment e.g., a Portal crane, Forklifts, Mobile crane, a Tug and a weighbridge. The handing equipment is owned and operated by Tanzania Port Authority.
|
Equipment |
Available |
Total Quantity and Capacity Available |
Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dockside Crane |
Yes |
1 – 35 MT 2 x 5 MT |
1 of the 5 MT dockside cranes is unserviceable |
|
Container Gantries |
Yes |
1x 35 MT |
|
|
Mobile Cranes |
Yes |
1 x 60 MT |
|
|
Reachstacker |
yes |
1 x 45 MT |
|
|
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer) |
No |
||
|
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines |
No |
||
|
Transtainer |
No |
||
|
Forklifts |
Yes |
7 x 3 MT 3 x5 MT 3 x 16 MT |
3 of the 3 MT forklifts are unserviceable 1 of the 16 MT forklifts is unserviceable. |
Container Facilities
Container traffic at Kigoma port is very limited with only 300 container movement in the last year.
|
Facilities |
20 ft |
40 ft |
|---|---|---|
|
Container Facilities Available |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Container Freight Station (CFS) |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Refrigerated Container Stations |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Other Capacity Details |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Daily Take Off Capacity |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Number of Reefer Stations |
1 |
N/A |
|
Emergency Take-off Capacity |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift |
N/A |
N/A |
Customs Guidance
The Tanzania Customs Integrated System (TANCIS) was introduced by the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) in 2014. It has brought total transparency to the clearance process by handling all documentation online. The whole process can be carried out from the agent’s desk, leading to a significant time saving. The customs office in Kigoma port is operational 24/7, customs clearance for cargo precleared on TANCIS takes between 5 to 8 hours.
For more information on customs in Tanzania, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information.
Terminal Information
MULTIPURPOSE TERMINAL
The port of Kigoma has a terminal for loading and off-loading general cargo, containerized Cargo and Break-Bulk cargo. It has no RORO (Roll-on/Roll-off) facilities.
GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING
There is no grain and bulk handling facilities at the port since grains like maize are handled in break bulk bags by stevedores and cranes on pallets.
MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL
Storage at Kigoma port consists of 3 sheds with a total capacity of 10500 MT and 6 Mobile storage Units (MSU) belonging to World Food Programme with a total capacity of 2400 MT for storage of Humanitarian cargo bound for Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
|
Storage Type |
Number of Storage Facilities |
Area (m2) |
|---|---|---|
|
Bagged Cargo |
3 6 x MSU for humanitarian cargo |
10500 MT 2400 MT |
|
Refrigerated Cargo |
N/A |
N/A |
|
General Cargo |
1 |
19840m2 |
Stevedoring
Stevedoring services are provided at the port by TPA utilising the service of Suma JKT Port and Services Co. Ltd. Suma JKT is part of the Ministry of Defence and National Service (MoDNS) the personnel are youth fulfilling Tanzanian mandatory national service requirements. Suma JKT Port and Services Co. Ltd is a company officially registered in 2020 with the aim of managing the loading and unloading of cargo at the port and ensuring the safety of goods entering and leaving the country. TPA have contracted Suma JKT Currently to coordinate and manage workers in all existing ports under the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) which are the ports of Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Tanga, Mtwara, Kigoma, Kyela, Kasanga, Bukoba and Kemondo.
Hinterland Information
The port of Kigoma is connected to the Hinterland with good road and Rail access, the rail siding in the port area provides direct access to the Central rail corridor to Dodoma and Dar es Salam. The road network provides good access across northern Tanzania and into Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda through three major one stop border posts.
Port Security
Port security at Kigoma port is good, the port is fenced, and access is monitored, all visitors are recorded, badged and provided with Hi-Viz on entry. The gate to the port is manned 24/7, the port is patrolled by security personnel. There is also a police station 100m from the port entrance. Kigoma port conforms to Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC) security regulations for Tanzanian inland ports.
|
Security |
|
|---|---|
|
ISPS Compliant |
No |
|
Current ISPS Level |
N/A |
|
Police Boats |
Yes |
|
Fire Engines |
No |
