Tanzania 🇹🇿 has unveiled the MV New Mwanza (also called MV Mwanza), the largest locally built freshwater passenger and cargo ship in Africa.
Unveiled at Mwanza Port on Lake Victoria, the vessel can carry 1,200 passengers, 400 tonnes of cargo, and over 20 vehicles, including a few heavy trucks.
A game-changer for trade and travel on Lake Victoria, connecting Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba has on February 12 2026, officially launched the 3,500 tonne ship, marking a milestone in the country’s maritime transport sector.
The state-of-the-art vessel, operating on Lake Victoria, has four decks, measures 92.6 metres in length, 17 metres in width, and weighs 3,500 tonnes. It can carry 1,200 passengers, 20 vehicles, and 400 tonnes of cargo, and travels at a speed of 16 knots (about 30 km/h), reducing the travel time from Mwanza to Bukoba to six to seven hours, compared to eight to ten hours by other vessels.
The ship’s construction began in January 2019, led by two South Korean companies, Gas Entec and KangNam Corporation. The 92.6 metre-long, 17-metre wide, and 20-metre-high vessel cost the taxpayers over Tsh100 billion (US$43 million)
The MV Mwanza’s design includes an elevator section for people with disabilities, a clinic to provide health services, a disco and facilities for a music band to entertain passengers.
The ship will ply Lake Victoria, providing a critical transport and trade network between Jinja and Portbell in Uganda, Kisumu in Kenya, and Mwanza, Bukoba, Kemondo, and Musoma in Tanzania.
The vessel will have a VVIP section for national leaders and regular VIP facilities, including a first-class section with a capacity for 60 people, business class for 100 people, and second-class for 200 people.
“The last will be the economy class which will be carrying 834 passengers, and in this class, passengers will enjoy a modern ambience with maximum relaxation enabling them to tour comfortably,” said Hamissi.
The government expects the ship to stimulate economic growth, especially after the 2026 railway project (SGR) completion from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza.
The ship will help “open new markets inside and outside the country by starting new trips that will help facilitate commercial, business, tourism and private trips,” Tanzania’s deputy minister for works and transport, Atupele Mwakibete, said.
The country is also renovating the MV Umoja, a cargo vessel, the MT Nyangumi, for carrying petroleum products, and the MT Ukerewe.
