Tanzanian Defence Minister lays foundation for military vehicle plant in Kibaha

Kibaha. The Minister of Defence and National Service, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, on Monday September 29 laid the foundation stone for a new military vehicle manufacturing plant at the Tanzania Automotive Technology Centre (TATC) in Nyumbu, Kibaha.

The ceremony was joined with the signing of a ground-breaking partnership between the Tanzanian government and Streit Group FZ-LLC of the United Arab Emirates to manufacture, repair, and sell armoured vehicles, a move expected to strengthen both national security and industrial growth.

The agreement is anticipated to make Tanzania a hub for defence manufacturing in the region.

Dr Tax described the initiative as a milestone in the government’s industrialisation drive. “The final goal is to export to the East African market,” she said.

TATC Nyumbu, originally conceived as the Nyumbu Project in 1977 by the late President Julius Kambarage Nyerere, was formally established in 1985 under the Public Corporations Act.

The organisation has long served as a centre of excellence for automotive and industrial technology, conducting research, vehicle design, repair, training, and quality assurance of machinery for the Ministry of Defence and National Service.

Through international technology transfer agreements with Timoney Technology Group of Ireland, TATC has trained engineers, technicians and artisans, and implemented multiple capital projects in the automotive sector.

TATC board chair, Lieutenant General (rtd) Wyajonea Mathew Kisamba, highlighted that the initiative will particularly benefit young Tanzanians, offering direct access to advanced automotive technology, skills transfer, and employment opportunities.

Chief of Defence Forces General Jacob John Mkunda described the venture as a strategic investment in national security, emphasising its contribution to military and technological self-reliance.

Streit Group CEO Guerman Goutorov said Tanzania was selected for its economic, political, and geographical advantages, making it an ideal base to distribute armoured vehicles across East and Central Africa.

Founded over three decades ago, Streit Group is among the world’s largest armoured vehicle manufacturers, headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, and supplying more than 100 countries.