The 113-year-old passenger and cargo vessel MV Liemba has officially resumed service on Lake Tanganyika, completing its first voyage from Kigoma, Tanzania, to Kalemie in the Democratic Republic of Congo on October 6, 2026. Business Insider Africa reported that the milestone ends an eight-year service suspension caused by severe machinery wear.
Tanzania’s Mwananchi newspaper documented the initial departure, which marks the phased return of a ship uniquely positioned to link four distinct nations.
Lake Tanganyika spans borders shared by Tanzania, the DRC, Burundi, and Zambia. Once full operational schedules resume, the ship will serve ports across all four countries, moving far beyond the initial Tanzania-to-DRC transit lane.
Simon Chobogo, a resident of Kibirizi in Kigoma-Ujiji, told Mwananchi that the extended absence of the vessel severely strained local livelihoods.
“This ship will open up economic opportunities that had constrained us,” Chobogo said. “After the ship stopped operating, we lost many traders from the Congo. Resuming voyages will make trade in fish and dried sardines easier and facilitate cargo transport.”
Bringing the centenarian ship back to life required a massive engineering undertaking. Tanzania’s Treasury Registrar reported the rehabilitation cost approximately 34 billion Tanzanian shillings, or roughly $13.2 million.
The restoration project was executed through a joint effort between Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam Merchant Group and Croatia’s Brodosplit JSC. Shipyard engineers overhauled worn-out machinery and upgraded passenger facilities to modern standards while preserving the vessel’s distinct historical footprint.
Originally constructed in Germany in 1913 under the name Graf von Goetzen, the ship was launched on the lake in 1915. German forces scuttled the vessel during the First World War in 1916 to keep it out of Allied hands. British forces subsequently salvaged the wreck in 1924, returning it to active duty as the MV Liemba in 1927.
| Milestone | Year / Detail |
|---|---|
| Original Construction | 1913 (Built in Germany as Graf von Goetzen) |
| First Launch | 1915 on Lake Tanganyika |
| Scuttled & Salvaged | Scuttled in 1916; salvaged by British in 1924 |
| Re-launched as Liemba | 1927 |
| Recent Overhaul | Completed in 2026 ($13.2 million / 34 billion TZS) |
Port authorities emphasize that the October 6 sailing served as an initial operational run ahead of a formal public launch ceremony. Hamissi, a local official cited by Mwananchi, noted that authorities will officially announce the permanent schedule once full integration across all four bordering nations is finalized.
The economic impact for East and Central African markets depends heavily on voyage frequency and the speed at which secondary regional routes come online. As regular sailings stabilize, the MV Liemba returns to its historic role as a critical aquatic highway for food, fish, and cross-border traders.
