Africa-Press – Rwanda. The ongoing unrest in Tanzania is disrupting the movement of goods destined for Rwanda, with truck drivers and logistics operators reporting communication breakdowns, fuel shortages, and long delays on key routes.
For the past four days, the neighbouring country has been experiencing demonstrations, as a number of citizens took to the streets to challenge early results of the presidential election which had put the incumbent Samia Suluhu in the lead.
The demonstrations have affected some services, including trucks that transport goods across the border.
Speaking to The New Times, Noel Nkurikiye, the Secretary General of Rwanda Professional Truck Drivers Union, said the situation worsened as protests spread across major Tanzanian regions.
“Communication networks have been cut off,” he said.
“Drivers usually stay in touch with their employers for coordination, especially when they need to refuel, but that’s no longer possible. Many of them ran out of fuel and were forced to stop where they were.”
He said the demonstrations, which started in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, have now reached the Kahama area closer to Rwanda, near forcing Rwandan truckers to halt or change routes.
“In the early days of the protests, trucks could travel until they reached areas that were no longer safe. Now they are stuck in the areas not too far from the border.”
Nkurikiye said the inability to communicate with drivers remains a major problem.
“We are disconnected from them,” he said.
He stressed that the disruption poses a serious challenge for Rwanda’s trade, given that most imports rely on Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam Port, which is closer, about 1,500 kilometres away, than Mombasa Port, at roughly 1,800 kilometres via Uganda.
“Dar es Salaam is the port we use most, because it’s shorter and more efficient,” he said.
“Even when goods come through Mombasa, we often prefer to route them through Tanzania rather than Uganda to avoid numerous weighbridge stops and reduce travel time.”
He explained that trucks passing through Tanzania from Mombasa face only six weighbridges (two in Kenya and four in Tanzania), while those using the Uganda route face twelve in total.
“Some trucks that had already left Mombasa for Rwanda through Tanzania were forced to turn back and reroute through Uganda,” Nkurikiye said.
“The cargo that is still on the way and expected to go to Dar es Salaam should be redirected to Mombasa as soon as possible to prevent Rwanda from facing shortages of essential commodities. Exporters should also use the same port.”
Economic analyst Jean Claude Rwubahuka observed that the unrest is already taking a toll on the region’s economy, with businesses beginning to count their losses.
He noted that the uncertainty has disrupted normal operations, saying he had even cancelled a planned business trip for the coming week due to ongoing curfews and limited communication, which have made travel and business activities nearly impossible.
“There is limited internet access, especially in hotels, and information flow has been disrupted,” he said. “Businesses depend on stability, and once security is uncertain, everything slows down. From what I can see, business activity has dropped by more than 50 per cent.”
He added that the unrest is affecting both land and air transport.
“Road transport is heavily disrupted by roadblocks, and even air travel is affected, with some airline websites and systems not functioning properly,” he said.
Talking about the trucks that are stranded on the roads, he noted that it means the products they were bringing to Rwanda are delayed, and the economy feels the impact.
He warned that uncertainty always translates into losses. “Businesses linked to Tanzania are already feeling the pressure,” he said.
“What would normally take two or three days to transport is now taking a week or more, because of curfews and road closures that last until 6pm.”
Despite Tanzania’s key role as Rwanda’s main gateway for imports and exports through the Dar es Salaam port, it also stands among the country’s top trading partners.
According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), in the second quarter of this year, imports from Tanzania were valued at $178.94 million (approximately Rwf260 billion), accounting for 54.98 per cent of Rwanda’s total imports from East African Community partner states and ranking second overall among Rwanda’s top sources of imports after China.
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