Photos: Tanzania Ministry of Works\Wikimedia Commons
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan this week inaugurated a bridge across Lake Victoria which aims to boost trade in the region.
The 3-kilometer bridge, which was built for around $270 million, will be the longest in East and Central Africa. It is named after the president’s predecessor, John Magufuli, who oversaw the start of its construction in 2020 before he died in 2021.
The bridge was built by two Chinese firms in collaboration with Tanzanian engineers. It is part of a wider drive to improve and expand railway, port, and air travel infrastructure.
The opening comes in the tense run-up to a general election in October, the first time President Samia is running for the presidency: she took over the role following Magufuli’s death.
In recent months her administration has faced allegations of violence and mistreatment of opposition leaders and activists.