On Monday, April 25, Azama Marine inaugurated Kilimanjaro 8, “The Falcon of the Sea,” one of their newest ships operating on the Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar route.
Kilimanjaro 8 was constructed in Hobart, the capital of Australia’s island state of Tasmania, over the course of 18 months, according to Mr. Abubakar Aziz Salim, managing director of Azam Marine, who was present at the unveiling.
Mr. Salim claims that it is a contemporary ship with a 631 passenger capacity. It has three classes: economy, with a capacity for 559 passengers; VIP, with 56 seats; and Royal Class, with 16 seats. It is powered by two 8,000 horsepower engines.
“The ship was named Falcon because it was built to look like a falcon. The shape helps the ship to effectively sail through the water by easily dividing the sea waves and defeating any resistance by wind,” he said.
President Hussein Mwinyi said his strategy to grow Zanzibar on the blue economy agenda was based on five main sectors: tourism, maritime transport and commerce, fisheries, oil and gas, as well as ports, as he welcomed the launch of Azam maritime’s new ship, which has been given the company name of.
“So far, tourism, marine transport and trading are doing fine. The remaining three were not doing well but we are working hard, in cooperation with the private sector, to boost them as well,” the president noted.
Additionally, the president noted that his administration was constructing a new, multifunctional port at Mangapwani in an effort to boost port performance. This port would serve not just Zanzibar but also the entire region of East Africa.
He claimed that Zanzibar’s government was also emphasizing modern fishing. Furthermore, the government is putting in place incentives that would draw additional investors to the oil and gas industry.
“It is our hope that these five areas, which are closely linked to the blue economy, will completely transform Zanzibar’s economy,” the president said.
Source : Business Insider Africa
