Rwanda expanded its use of both the Central and Northern corridors as cargo volumes increased and new fuel arrangements gave the country more options for moving imports, exports and strategic supplies through the region.
Rwanda-bound cargo through the Port of Dar es Salaam rose by 24% to 2.18 million tonnes in the 2025/26 financial year from about 1.75 million tonnes a year earlier. Rwanda accounted for about 15% of the port’s transit traffic.
The increase came during a period of wider growth at Dar es Salaam where total cargo handled reached about 33.7 million tonnes compared with 27.7 million tonnes in the previous financial year. Tanzania Ports Authority linked the growth to investment and improvements in port operations.
Rwanda’s growing use of the Tanzanian route did not come at the expense of its access through Kenya.
Kenya Ports Authority reported that Rwanda-bound cargo through Mombasa increased by 22% in 2025. Volumes rose from 683,259 metric tonnes to 839,366 metric tonnes.
The figures from Tanzania and Kenya covered different reporting periods and therefore could not be treated as a direct comparison of the two corridors. They did however show that Rwanda continued to make use of both routes as regional trade expanded.
The Central Corridor provided Rwanda with access to Tanzania while the Northern Corridor linked the country to Kenya through Uganda. For a landlocked economy the two routes offered alternatives for moving goods to and from international markets.
Their importance became clearer in Rwanda’s fuel supply strategy.
Rwanda reached an agreement with Kenya that allowed the Rwanda National Energy Company to source refined petroleum products independently while using Kenyan port pipeline and storage infrastructure. The arrangement was designed to strengthen the reliability of petroleum supplies through the Northern Corridor.
A separate agreement between Rwanda National Energy Company and Gulf Bulk Petroleum Tanzania opened another government-backed fuel route through the Port of Tanga. Rwanda’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said the arrangement formed part of the government’s strategy to use both the Northern and Central corridors.
That approach became operational when a 40,000-metric-tonne shipment of refined petroleum products arrived at Mombasa under the Kenyan framework after Rwanda had already opened the Tanga route.
Speaking in Mombasa as the first shipment under the Kenya arrangement was received, Minister of State for Infrastructure Armand Zingiro said the two routes formed part of Rwanda’s effort to strengthen the resilience of its fuel supply.
“This framework with Kenya, alongside the new route we have opened through the Port of Tanga, is the practical expression of that strategy,” Zingiro said.
The two corridors also gave Rwandan businesses more options when moving other goods. Transport costs, road conditions, border procedures, storage services and delivery times could all influence which route was more suitable for a particular shipment.
Kenya Ports Authority has maintained a liaison office in Kigali to support Rwandan customers using Mombasa and its inland logistics services. The authority said the office was intended to make port services easier to access and support regional trade.
Dar es Salaam also continued increasing its capacity to serve landlocked markets. Tanzania Ports Authority said the port handled record cargo volumes after investments expanded operations and improved cargo handling.
For Rwanda the growth of both routes provided more than additional cargo capacity. It widened the country’s access to regional ports and strengthened its ability to maintain the movement of goods and fuel through more than one transport corridor.
Elie GATETE
RADIOTV10