CCM presidential candidate Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has officially launched her campaigns in Kigoma, where she will present the party’s manifesto and policies in a bid to win the people’s confidence.

She wil today September 13, 2025 begins her campaign in Uvinza District, then proceeds to Kasulu and later Buhigwe, with residents of this Western Zone eagerly awaiting to hear from her.

Kigoma is regarded as a gateway for trade and a historic hub of railway transport in Tanzania.

Its long history is anchored in Lake Tanganyika, the world’s second-deepest freshwater lake, which has sustained fishing and cross-border trade for decades.

The region earned its unique reputation as the “end of the railway” after the Central Line railway reached Kigoma in February 1914, opening a new chapter in the transportation of people and goods from Dar es Salaam to the country’s western corridor.

To further open up trade routes to neighboring Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the government is implementing the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project from Tabora to Kigoma. 

This project is expected to ease passenger and cargo transportation from the Port of Dar es Salaam, enhance efficiency, cut business costs, and boost growth in agriculture, fisheries, and small-scale industries, while also creating jobs, particularly for young people.

Economically, the livelihoods of Kigoma residents revolve around agriculture, with crops such as maize, beans, cassava, and various fruits produced in abundance. Farming provides over 70 percent of jobs in the region.

Fishing in Lake Tanganyika is another backbone of income and nutrition, with species like migebuka and dagaa sold both domestically and abroad.

Trade has also flourished thanks to Kigoma’s proximity to Burundi and Congo, making the region a vital center for transport and cross-border markets.

Tourism is another key pillar of Kigoma’s economy, driven by Gombe and Mahale National Parks, globally renowned for their chimpanzee populations, which attract visitors from all over the world.

The historical town of Ujiji, where the famous explorer David Livingstone once arrived, remains a cultural and historical attraction that recalls the 19th-century era of exploration.

According to the 2022 Population and Housing Census, Kigoma has a total of 2,470,967 residents — 1,186,833 men and 1,284,134 women.

This growing population makes Kigoma one of Tanzania’s fastest-expanding regions, increasing the demand for social services, infrastructure, and economic opportunities — and today, all eyes are on SaSamia as she addresses these aspirations