Election-related unrest shuts Tanzania’s main gateway, forcing cargo diversions to Mombasa and straining regional supply chains amid peak fertilizer season.
Tanzania’s Port of Dar es Salaam ceased operations following civil unrest after the general elections on 29 October 2025, triggering an immediate shutdown at midnight on 30 October and an extension with an indefinite timeline. Authorities implemented nationwide internet blackouts and curfews as part of emergency measures. The halt has disrupted multiple regional supply chains given the port’s role as a primary gateway for Tanzania and landlocked neighbours.
Immediate Supply-Chain Impacts
There has been a complete suspension of vessel movements and cargo handling across all terminals, with no personnel on-site per port operator C. Steinweg. The timing coincides with peak fertilizer import season: sulphur imports reached roughly 1 million tonnes by October 2025, nearly 50% higher year-on-year, leading to an estimated 250,000–300,000 tonnes accumulating in warehouses. Petroleum product flows, mining equipment, and other commodities also face indefinite delays.
Diversions to Mombasa and Capacity Pressure
With Dar es Salaam offline, cargo is being rerouted to Kenya’s Port of Mombasa. Mombasa was already handling growing transit volumes before the closure, 1,502 TEUs for Burundi in H1 2024 (up 320% year-on-year) and 13,059 TEUs for Rwanda, with further increases expected as diversions intensify. However, Mombasa is confronting congestion, including more than 22 vessels waiting to berth, which risks longer clearance times and higher logistics costs.
Infrastructure Response and Constraints
Kenya Ports Authority has launched a $147 million efficiency enhancement initiative to expand berthing space and improve handling capacity; nonetheless, such projects take time to deliver relief. In the interim, shippers face longer transit times, potential demurrage, and tighter trucking capacity along the Northern Corridor, pressures that could ripple into consumer prices.
Strategic Takeaways for the Region
Dar es Salaam is a major transit hub for Rwanda, Burundi, and parts of DRC, with secondary reach into Uganda, Zambia, and Malawi. The present disruption, occurring alongside security measures (curfew and internet restrictions), has become a stress test for regional resilience. Recovery hinges on political stabilization, coordination with alternative ports, and backlog management and diversified gateways, inland dry ports, and stronger intermodal links to withstand shocks are required going forward.
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