Tanzania's Works Minister has ordered the contractor building the Kahama-Bulyanhulu Junction-Kakola road to complete the project by December 7, 2026, after inspecting progress on the 73-kilometre highway. The road, being constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), has reached 90 per cent completion and is expected to improve transport links while creating economic opportunities in mining, agriculture, forestry and tourism across five regions. Masanja Kadogosa stressed the urgency of meeting the contractual deadline during his site visit, warning that failure to do so could result in penalties equivalent to 0.1 per cent of the contract value and revocation of the contractor's authorisation to undertake similar projects in Tanzania.
The Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) estimated the project's cost at 100.6 billion shillings. The work began in July 2024 and was initially scheduled for completion in September 2026, but implementation challenges led to a request for extension. To date, 32 kilometres of the road have been paved, with construction continuing on the remaining sections. The project is fully funded by Barrick's mining operations in Tanzania, conducted in partnership with the government through Twiga Minerals at the Bulyanhulu and North Mara mines.
The minister said the completed road would ease transport challenges for residents, facilitate movement of goods and services, expand business opportunities and stimulate economic growth in surrounding communities. Once finished, the road will strengthen economic links across Shinyanga, Geita, Tabora, Kagera and Kigoma regions and is strategically important to Kahama Municipality, a major cargo transport hub connecting Tanzania's principal seaport with landlocked neighbouring countries including Rwanda and Uganda.
Barrick's representative, Engineer Ibrahim Paul, reaffirmed the company's commitment to completing the project on schedule, confirming that funds had been made available for contractor payments. CCECC representative Engineer Wang Lei pledged to intensify construction activities and deploy additional efforts, including round-the-clock work where necessary, to meet the deadline. Msalala Constituency Member of Parliament Mabula Magangila expressed confidence that completion would boost economic activities and improve livelihoods in the area, noting residents had long awaited the road.