DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Zambian counterpart, Haikande Hichilema, have agreed to upgrade the cross-border railway connecting the two countries to speed up economic progress as part of a broader push to strengthen ties.

The decision to revive the Tanzania and Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) was reached last week in the port city of Dar es Salaam where the two leaders held talks.

Hassan said the dilapidated, single-track TAZARA line does not deliver what is expected and an upgrade is badly needed to tap new business opportunities along the route.

“In today’s world, railway is standard gauge, so through a public-private partnership (PPP) we have agreed to mobilize resources to improve the railway to that level,” she said.

The 1,860-kilometer (1,155-mile) railway, stretching from Dar es Salaam to the heart of Zambia’s copper belt, was built by China as a turnkey project between 1970 and 1975.

With an installed capacity of 5 million tons of freight per year, TAZARA has been handling traffic for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as well as the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), providing a vital regional link among the southern, eastern and central African regions with the rest of the world through the port of Dar es Salaam.

Blessing for land-locked Zambia

Hichilema expressed gratitude to the founding leaders Julius Nyerere and Kenneth Kaunda, from Tanzania and Zambia, respectively, for their clear vision.

“As a land-locked country, Zambia will benefit even more from the improved transportation of goods and services through this railway,” Hichilema told reporters.

TAZARA’s Managing Director and CEO Bruno Ching’andu said Tanzania has started to mobilize funding to implement the project.

“We strongly support our leaders who have shown political will to upgrade this railway,” he said.

Ching’andu said the new drive is an impetus to turn the cash-strapped company into a profitable venture.

“We needed political support to address a number of challenges that have been derailing our progress,” he said.

Affectionately nicknamed “Uhuru” or “Freedom” indicating hope for a life of self-determination, the railway heralds a growing Chinese influence in Africa as the continent’s single largest trading partner and crucial investor.

As a symbol of high-level diplomacy between China and the two African nations, observers said the TAZARA project is being perceived as a foundational legacy for China-African development cooperation and friendship.

Samuel Wangwe, a senior economic researcher and consultant based in Dar es Salaam, said cross-border trains like TAZARA play a pivotal role in the growth of the regional economy.

“I am confident the leaders of the two countries have shown political will to upgrade this railway. The authorities need to invest and resolve existing challenges and create an efficient railway,” he told Anadolu Agency.

The train ride allure

With a long whistle, a fully-loaded passenger train leaves the smoke-belching port-city of Dar es Salaam and gradually snakes into the serenity of the African jungle.

The slow-moving train is headed for Kapirimposhil, a town north of Zambia.

As attested by ecstatic passengers, the move to revive the railway has rekindled long-cherished memories of a 52-hour train ride to the heart of Zambia’s copper belt.

“It feels so good to travel by train. I am happy to hear that this railway line will be upgraded. To me the move will encourage more trade and investment between the two countries,” said businessman Mustafa Msafiri, who was traveling on the train to Mbeya in Tanzania’s southern highlands.

Since it began in 1976, trains have been shuttling between the Tanzania capital and Kapirimposhil, a gesture of the sound relationship between China, Tanzania and Zambia.

The tracks were laid through thick forest, uninhabited savannah and mountainous terrain as part of one of Africa’s boldest infrastructure projects.

“When my children boarded the train for the first time they felt as if they were in another world,” said Msafiri. By Kizito Makoye, Anadolu Agency. 

Bomas of Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) national tallying center, became a location for an award-winning blockbuster movie at the wee hours of Sunday.

The cast for the movie included that of the all too familiar politicians who never disappoint in matters drama.

They turned the venue into a theater of some sorts eclipsing the venue’s main objective, that of allowing the IEBC officials ample time to verify and tally the presidential results following Tuesday’s election.

The drama that unfolded featured opposing sides of the two leading presidential candidates – Raila Odinga of Azimio La Umoja and William Ruto of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

The main cast in the Azimio team included, Saitabao ole Kanchory who is Odinga’s agent and his colleagues Homa Bay Governor elect Gladys Wanga, Suba North MP, Kisumu Woman Representative Roza Buyu, Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang among others.

Uasin Gishu County Woman Representative Gladys Shollei was the leading actor in the UDA team.

The extras in her team included: Ruto’s Chief Agent, former Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen among others.

The leaders drawn from both camps are keeping vigil at Bomas, overseeing the verification exercise of the results which must be announced by Tuesday as required by law.

In what appeared choreographed to break the boredom that comes with sitting for long hours, the leaders often opted to confront each other over with counter-accusations of vote rigging.   

The drama started when Kanchory, Raila’s Chief agent, was blocked from accessing the tallying area.

A shouting match ensued, with the leaders throwing words at each other to the dismay of the IEBC officials verifying votes.

“I want to declare that this place is now a crime scene,” said Kanchory, who forcefully made his way into the tallying area.

The drama that almost degenerated into a fist fight between the two opposing sides forced the Commission to deploy anti-riot police officers at the auditorium.

As this was unfolding at the auditorium, there was also drama outside as the Azimio leaders sought audience with IEBC Commissioners after they spotted a vehicle that was carrying Forms 34B.

MPs Millie Odhiambo and Roza Buyu, who spotted the vehicle, which belonged to a Returning Officer from Narok alleged that the official was conspiring with their opponents to alter the numbers and submit changed documents.

The duo, who attracted a huge crowd outside the venue, demanded the presence of Commissioner Francis Wanderi to ascertain the legitimacy of the documents held by the Narok Returning Officer.

“I can confirm that this is our staff, and we will follow the procedure to ensure that the documents she has bought have not been tampered with,” Wanderi said. 

The Azimio leaders were, however, unsatisfied with Wanderi’s response and alleged that the Returning Officer was working with Shollei of UDA to alter the forms.

During the confrontation, two men were spotted with Shollei’s handbags near the vehicle carrying forms 34B.

Upon being questioned why they had Shollei’s bags, the men could not give a satisfactory answer, only saying, “she wanted us to leave them in her car, and we came here to look for her car.”

Police immediately whisked the two to the Bomas Police station for questioning.

The police also searched Shollei’s bags without her presence to establish if they were carrying any incriminating evidence.

Nothing suspicious, however, was found in the bags, which the Azimio leaders strongly believed hid materials for rigging votes.

The verification exercise that entered its fourth day on Sunday has been stopped several times due to the scuffles.

The Commission has until Tuesday, August 16, 2022, to declare the presidential winner of the Tuesday election.

As of 6.30 am Sunday, the Commission was almost halfway through, having relayed verified results of 144 constituencies of the 291.