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By REUTERS

Police arrested senior leaders of Tanzania’s main opposition party Chadema and hundreds of its supporters ahead of a meeting in the southwest of the country, the party said on Monday.

Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe and the leader of its youth wing John Pambalu were arrested at a regional airport on Monday, the party said on social media platform X.

A day earlier, the party’s Vice-Chairman Tundu Lissu and Secretary-General John Mnyika were arrested, party spokesperson John Mrema told Reuters.

Since coming to power in March 2021 following the death of her predecessor, Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has lifted a ban on political rallies and relaxed restrictions on media.

However, she has faced criticism from opposition parties and rights groups for arrests last year of those planning protests against a port management deal.

The latest arrests came hours after police banned a conference planned by Chadema’s youth wing Bavicha, saying the event was likely to breach the peace.

Police said the party’s youth leaders planned to influence young people across the country to meet and demonstrate in Mbeya, a city in southwest Tanzania, which a party spokesperson denied.

Mrema said the conference was to celebrate International Youth Day, where top party officials, including Mbowe, were set to address the youth.

“There are more than 400 people who have been arrested by the police,” the spokesperson added.

Police spokesperson David Misime did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all our leaders, members and loved ones who were arrested in various parts of the country,” Mbowe had said late on Sunday on X.

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By ANTHONY KITIMO

Cross border trade between Kenya and Tanzania at Lunga-Lunga One Stop Border Post (OSBP) will increase, after connection with the port of Mombasa was opened after completion of Dongo Kundu bypass.

The completion and opening of the $307,106 infrastructure this week within Mombasa port road network, will enable movement of goods to the second busiest border between Kenya and Tanzania after Namanga, without using the Likoni ferry.

The project will later connect with the 460-kilometre East African Coastal Corridor development project between Malindi and Bagamoyo, which is being funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and a grant from the European Union.

According to latest data from the two trading countries at the border, Tanzania exports majorly agricultural products through the border whereas Kenya exports manufacturing goods and raw materials.

The contract was awarded to the Fujita Corporation-Mitsubishi Corporation consortium on February 20, 2019, with the signing taking place on April 18, 2019 and was expected to end March 2024 but it was completed earlier according to Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha).

The construction, undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, commenced in 2018 and has now reached a pivotal phase with the partial opening of the roadway.

With a total length of about 17.5 kilometres, the bypass is set to revolutionise the region’s connectivity with the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and Mombasa International Airport benefiting a lot.

Kenha Deputy Director Samuel Ogege, the project’s lead manager, confirmed the project’s successful handover to the client.

“An internal committee has been appointed to oversee the handover process, ensuring that the bypass meets all safety and operational standards before full-scale utilisation. Although the bypass is currently in use, an official ceremonial opening will follow, celebrating the completion of this landmark project,” said Mr Ogege.

The contract was awarded to the Fujita Corporation-Mitsubishi Corporation consortium on February 20, 2019.

The Coastline Transnational Highway project, conceived more than two decades ago, covers Bagamoyo-Tanga-Horohoro on the Tanzania side and Lunga Lunga-Mombasa-Mtwapa-Malindi on the Kenyan side, and is expected to cost $751 million.

According to a financing agreement, AfDB will finance 70 percent of the highway and the governments of Kenya and Tanzania will cover 30 per cent. On the Kenyan side, already two phases between Mombasa and Kilifi are at 85 percent complete.

Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) Deputy Director Samuel Ogege, the project’s lead manager, confirmed the project’s successful handover to the client.

“An internal committee has been appointed to oversee the handover process, ensuring that the bypass meets all safety and operational standards before full-scale utilisation. Although the bypass is currently in use, an official ceremonial opening will follow, celebrating the completion of this landmark project,” said Mr Ogege.

The road which is toll free, as it was built using Japanese loan with support from government of Kenya becomes a huge relief with Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) expected to incur losses as the tourism sector registering a boom.

The project, a monumental feat of engineering, includes the construction of the Peninsula.

With a total length of approximately 17.5 kilometers the bypass is set to revolutionize the region’s connectivity with SGR and Mombasa International Airport benefiting a lot.

The three bridges which are Mwache bridge spanning 660 metres and the other two bridges are Tsunza Viaduct (690m) and the Mteza Bridge, which is expected to be the longest bridge over water in the country and region straddling 1,440 metres will also play as key tourism sector as it has special scenic views for road users.

KeNHA Deputy Director Engineer Samuel Ogege, the project’s lead manager, confirmed the project’s successful handover to the client, underscoring that the road is ready for public use.

“An internal committee has been appointed to oversee the handover process, ensuring that the bypass meets all safety and operational standards before full-scale utilization. Although the bypass is currently in use, an official ceremonial opening will follow, celebrating the completion of this landmark project,” said Mr Ogege.

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