DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’S Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba has said one of Dar es Salaam’s most popular public beaches will not be sold, seeking to calm concerns over possible redevelopment of the site.
Speaking during a visit to Coco Beach, the prime minister told local traders and residents that the shoreline would remain a public asset.
“Coco Beach will not be sold. Let me put your fears to rest,” he said, according to remarks delivered on site. “It is not for sale, and there is no investor other than you, the local residents.”
The comments come after weeks of speculation about the future of the beachfront area in Kinondoni district, a prime coastal location in Tanzania’s commercial capital.
Nchemba said the government would continue to follow directives set by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, adding that planned improvements would be carried out in a way that benefits Tanzanians.
“We will continue working to deliver what our president has promised to the people,” he said.
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The prime minister also called on local government officials to increase direct engagement with citizens. He instructed leaders from Kinondoni Municipal Council, including the district commissioner and other officials, to spend more time in communities rather than offices.
“Go out and speak directly with citizens where they are,” he said, urging a more hands-on approach to resolving local concerns.
He also encouraged small business owners operating along the beach to support ongoing government efforts to upgrade the area, saying the changes would create opportunities for them.
Coco Beach has long been a popular public space, attracting residents for leisure, informal trade and social activities. Its future has been the subject of debate in the past, particularly over proposals involving private development.
In 2018, former president John Magufuli publicly opposed any move to privatise the area, directing that it remain accessible to the public. His stance followed disputes over development plans and concerns about the loss of open space.
At the time, Magufuli also criticised the condition of facilities at the beach, noting the lack of basic amenities such as toilets despite regular revenue collection from parking and other activities.
Authorities later cited those directives when halting projects seen as inconsistent with the beach’s public status, stressing that any changes would need to follow proper planning procedures.
No new development plan for Coco Beach has been formally announced.
