In case you’ve never heard of it, Kariakoo is a high-density commercial and residential area in downtown Dar es Salaam. It contains one of the city’s largest markets, Kariakoo Market.
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Word has it that you can buy anything in Kariakoo “from textiles to electricity generators, from bathroom sinks to stationery, from spare parts for cars to household furniture”.
It’s even been said that “if what you’re looking for is not in Kariakoo, then it doesn’t [exist] in Dar es Salaam!
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It took me a while to go back to Congo Street because I’m generally a little overwhelmed by Kariakoo.
As a Tanzanian who is usually mistaken for a foreigner (most people think I am either Kenyan or Rwandan) due to my poor Swahili and general demeanor, being in areas like Kariakoo can be quite uncomfortable for me.
Still, needing to do some emergency shopping one day, I conscripted my youngest brother (who’s lived in Dar es Salaam longer than me) to take me shopping in Kariakoo.
Where else did we end up but on…Congo Street?
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