Dar es Salaam's landmark Kariakoo market set to reopen four years after fire

More than four years after it was gutted by fire, Dar es Salaam’s historic Kariakoo market is getting ready to reopen.

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan inaugurated the newly constructed six-storey complex on Sunday. She said she hoped it would become a center of economic development for the region.

"We must ensure that all products sold in this market meet international standards, as before. The products sold in this market will not only be used by Tanzanians, but also by foreigners from neighbouring countries. I urge the Tanzania Bureau of Standards to ensure that the products sold here meet international standards so that the market can be recognised internationally.”

Suluhu also insisted that stalls would be allocated fairly and transparently.

The $10 million reconstruction includes underground parking and a rooftop food court, as well as modern security and fire safety systems.

"This market has truly become a modern market," said vendor Victor Joseph. "I am pleased with what the chairwoman has accomplished, and I am satisfied with the market's current level.”

Authorities are finalising plans to restore normal business operations. Some 1,500 traders have been cleared to return.

The original market opened in 1975 and burned down in July 2021. President Samia has said it was an act of arson, intended to hide financial mismanagement.