Above: The Tanga port. After almost 60 years, the Port of Tanga, the longest serving sea port on the East African coast is regaining its attractiveness and pride. Tanga Port, which was operational as early as the late 1880s, is undergoing massive upgrading that would enable the terminal to accommodate large ships and increase cargo flow.
Mrope's article attempts to portray Mombasa as a “vote of no confidence” in Tanzania’s investment policies. But after reading it carefully, one thing becomes very clear - Dangote was unlikely to place such a massive strategic investment in the same country where he has already invested hundreds of millions of Dollars.
An investor like Dangote, who already has substantial investments in Tanzania, would naturally hesitate to place an even larger project in the very same jurisdiction. Any serious businessman understands the danger of putting all his eggs in one basket - and Dangote is no exception.
Therefore, many of the explanations given in the article appear less like objective analysis and more like an attempt to whitewash a business diversification decision into a political indictment of Tanzania.
Neither Kenya nor Tanzania can claim perfect political or economic stability. African democracies are still evolving. If political stability is truly the issue, then Tanzania arguably remains more stable than Kenya. Have we already forgotten how Kenya was shaken to the core only two years ago by the Gen Z protests and unrest that lasted for almost three months?
Mrope's article therefore comes across less as balanced economic analysis and more as an attempt to lambast Tanzania for nothing.
In reality, among East African states, Tanzania still remains one of the most sensible long-term investment destinations, because of its vast natural resources, strategic location, internal stability, and growing energy potential.
Secondly, Tanzania is not structured like some other East African economies where investors are allowed to extract maximum benefit with minimal national safeguards. While foreign investment in major sectors is permitted, the Tanzanian State still maintains caution when it comes to the exploitation of national resources. That is not necessarily hostility toward investors - it is part of protecting national interests.
A country that insists on safeguarding its resources should not automatically be portrayed as “anti-investment” or lacking “institutional trust.” Sometimes what certain investors describe as “unfriendly policies” are simply attempts by a sovereign state to avoid being excessively exploited.
A refinery in Mombasa does not automatically mean Tanzania has failed. It may simply mean Dangote seeks regional diversification, port-access flexibility, political balancing, and a broader market presence across the whole of East Africa.
/ZNK
https://zanzibarnikwetu.blogspot.com/2026/05/mombasa-is-not-just-port-it-is-vote-of.html
No comments :
Post a Comment