Rukwa — President Samia Suluhu Hassan has inaugurated the 107.14-kilometer Sumbawanga-Matai Kasanga Port Road, worth 150.5bn/-.

Officiating the project at Matai in Kalambo District of Rukwa Region on Tuesday, the Head of State said that previously, people spent the whole day traveling from Sumbawanga town to the port and vice versa.

Thanks to the newly launched road, people traveling the same distance will now spend only two hours.

The inauguration ceremony of the Sumbawanga-Matai Kasanga Port Road is part of President Samia's ongoing tour of the Rukwa region, which began on June 15 and includes the inauguration of various projects.

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Earlier, President Samia also inaugurated the Kalambo District Council building, worth 4.5bn/-.

The Sumbawanga-Matai Kasanga Port Road links the region with neighboring countries and is anticipated to significantly boost trade, particularly in the agriculturally focused region.

She also urged residents to protect development projects being implemented in their respective areas.

Welcoming the President, Minister of Works, Mr Innocent Bashungwa, said the government is expected to initiate the engineering design for the Raela to Kikongwe Road project in the current fiscal year.

The project, according to him, is aimed at decongesting the Mbeya-Tunduma Road.

On his part, Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) Chief Executive Engineer Mohamed Besta indicated that the project's costs also covered construction, consultancy, and compensating residents whose properties were affected during its execution.