1,520 Kariakoo Market traders cleared to return after major repairs

Dar es Salaam. The names of 1,520 traders who meet the qualifications to return to the Kariakoo Main Market have finally been published.

Over 366 traders will not be allowed to return until they settle outstanding debts owed to the Kariakoo Market Corporation before the fire destroyed the market on July 10, 2021.

This announcement comes after the completion of repairs of the main market and the construction of a smaller new market, both financed through the government’s Sh29 billion allocation.

A press release issued on Friday, January 31, 2025 and signed by the Kariakoo Market Corporation head of public relations, Mr Revocutus Kasimba, says the list of approved traders is available on the market’s website (https://www.kariakoomarket.co.tz/) and that of the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) website (https://www.tamisemi.go.tz/).

Mr Kasimba also noted that the 366 traders who owe more than Sh358 million to the corporation should settle their debts before being allocated business spaces in the market.

The initial list, released in July 2024, was rejected by traders who argued that their leaders had not been adequately consulted, leading to a halt in the allocation process pending a comprehensive audit.

To express their concerns, traders gathered at Mnazi Mmoja grounds and marched to the CCM offices on Lumumba Street, Dar es Salaam, on July 12, 2024.

On July 13, 2024, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila met with the traders and agreed to their demands.

As a result, the 819 approved names were removed from the system, and a new verification process was initiated.

On January 30, 2025, chairperson of the Advisory Board of the Kariakoo Market Corporation, Hawa Ghasia, confirmed that the verification process had been completed, and the new list would be released this week.