Unguja. Zanzibar now has a large gas storage facility, in a landmark development that assures the availability of enough Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the Isles.
The facility, built by Oryx Gas Zanzibar and its partner TP Limited, means that Zanzibar can now receive large vessels and offload enough LPG supplies to the Isles.
The latter (TP Limited) is a subsidiary of Vigor Turky’s Group of Companies (Vigor Group).
President Hussein Mwinyi graced the launch of the facility at the Mangapwani port here yesterday, where he said the move was also in line with Tanzania’s wider goal of raising the percentage of households using clean cooking energy from the current 10 percent to 80 percent by the year 2024.
Speaking during the event, Dr Mwinyi urged gas companies to put in place strategies that would result in the reduction of LPG so that members of the public could afford them.
He said that for a long time, Zanzibar has relied on the Malindi port, but due to increased economic activity, it has become inadequate. Consequently, the government designated Mangapwani for energy purposes, including gas, oil and other infrastructure.
“So now, we will receive large vessels and store them in two large tanks that are capable of holding 130 tonnes each, built by Oryx,” he said.
“The establishment of a gas storage warehouse in Zanzibar will promote the use of clean energy, aligning with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s goal that by 2034, 80 percent of Tanzanian households should move to the use of clean cooking energy,” he added.
The managing director of Oryx Gas Tanzania Limited, Mr Benoît Araman, said the opening of the Mangapwani gas warehouse demonstrates Oryx Energies’ commitment to investing in critical infrastructure supporting the safe and extensive use of LPG in Tanzania. This initiative also meets the government’s request for ensuring sustainable LPG distribution nationwide.
“The Tanzanian gas market has witnessed a nearly 13-fold increase in imports over the past decade, from 20,000 tonnes in 2010 to 293,000 tonnes in 2023,” he added.
He said the partnership with Vigor Group’s subsidiary to strategically build and enhance LPG gas distribution on the island underscored Oryx Energies’ dedication to fostering collaboration with local companies.
“The Mangapwani warehouse, operational since early May, can store up to 1,300 tonnes of LPG gas and received its first shipment of 1,200 tonnes on May 2, 2024,” he stated. The General Manager of Oryx Gas Zanzibar Limited, Mr Shuwekha Omar Khamis, said the company will continue playing its crucial role in laying the foundation for expanding LPG distribution in Zanzibar.
Earlier, the Vigor Group Chairman, Taufiq Salim Turky, said his company decided to partner with Oryx due to their extensive experience in the Tanzanian gas market, expressing confidence that gas will become more accessible to many.
He also announced plans to reduce gas prices in Zanzibar by 20 percent starting July 1 this year, with further reductions planned thereafter.
The director general for the Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority (Zura), Mr Omar Ali Yussuf, said for years, the energy sector, particularly gas, relied on the Malindi port, where it was being unloaded via boats.
“Before this gas and oil unloading port, we used small boats and other unsafe means. But now, we have a dedicated port for gas and oil vessels,” he said.
He also emphasised that through government plans and effective blue economy policies, Mangapwani Port aims to become a major hub for transporting gas and oil across East Africa, noting that energy prices in Zanzibar are lower compared to other countries.
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Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.
While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public health researcher
Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday).
“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.
Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.
The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.
“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.
She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.
“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.
Cross-border transmission
The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.
The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.
Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”
The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.
The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.
Transparency urged
Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.
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“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.
WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.
“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.
The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Source: allafrica.com
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Ali Hassan Mwinyi, a schoolteacher turned politician who led Tanzania as its second post-independence president and helped dismantle the doctrinaire socialism of his predecessor, Julius K. Nyerere, died on Thursday in Dar es Salaam, the country’s former capital. He was 98.Continue Reading
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