Tycoons in plot to overrun Oysterbay

Dar es Salaam. Some city tycoons are leading an underground moves to overturn the land use plan in Dar es Salaam’s prime areas in what is seen as a crooked rush to secure real estate deals running into billions of dollars in development, The Citizen can report.

They are seeking government approval to disregard restrictions on the construction of high-rise buildings, especially along Ali Hassan–Mwenge–New Bagamoyo roads.

The developers are targeting deals that would see buildings of more than 30 storeys constructed along these roads. According to the present land use plan, only designs of buildings not exceeding six storeys are approved.

The silent move involves a 4km section of the road from Selander Bridge to Mwenge and would cover 500 metres radius along this stretch, affecting Oysterbay, Morroco, Kinondoni, Victoria, Mwenge and Parts of Kijitonyama. The move would be the latest in an on-and-off effort by the tycoons to alter the area’s development master plan. Sources have informed The Citizen that officials in the ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development are divided on the matter.

Those engineering the move have for the past one year been exerting enormous pressure within government, in which they have powerful backers, to allow the multi-billion real estate projects to take off.

If their push succeeds, besides affecting the people living within 500 metres radius of the road, it will also likely interfere with the Oysterbay-Masaki Redevelopment Plan (2012-2032) that was passed by the Cabinet in August 2011.

The Oysterbay-Masaki plan established new zoning, forbidding construction of building exceeding six storeys in order to preserve the character and the natural view of probably the most prime residential suburbs in the Dar es Salaam City. The zoning was also intended to control the use of land and prevent new developments from interfering with existing uses.

It is understood that in August 2011, a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Jakaya Kikwete, discussed and approved the Oysterbay-Masaki Redevelopment Plan (2012-2032) that was jointly prepared by the Kinondoni municipality and the Lands ministry. The Cabinet endorsed the plan and directed that it be strictly observed.

Unlike other such plans, the Oysterbay-Masaki Redevelopment plan had to be discussed and endorsed by the Cabinet, partly because of the historical background and sensitivity of the area.

Oysterbay and Masaki are known to be among the few remaining areas that were developed by colonial governments for their officials as well as representatives of international organisations. The area comprises home addresses of many senior and former government officials, including ministers, permanent secretaries and directors.

However, since 2005, when the government endorsed the sale of the houses to public servants, new private occupiers have been pressuring authorities to change the use of the area to allow them to build high-rise structures for commercial and residential purposes.

The scramble for high value properties in the area following the sale of the plots and houses has attracted tycoons, especially from the Asian bloc who are said to be itching for changes that would enable them to have a piece of the pie.

The appetite for the property boom in the area is, however, causing sleepless nights to residents whose only interest is to preserve the current scenery that offers immense tranquility. Most of the senior government officials including ministers, judges, heads of public corporations own the houses sold to them by the government.

They fear any changes in land use would gradually turn the leafy suburbs into the jungle that is Kariakoo, the busiest business section of the city where urban planning rules have been grossly compromised for commercial purposes.

It is the state of affairs in Kariakoo that in the first place prompted the Lands ministry and Kinondoni municipality to craft the Oysterbay-Masaki Redevelopment Plan which was presented to the Cabinet for discussion and approval.

The Citizen has learnt that land dealers have for the last two years been trying to penetrate top authorities in the Kinondoni Municipality and Lands ministry to allow them to put up massive structures along Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road. Delays in securing approvals for individual permits is what may have informed the same cabal of tycoons to try to secure the overall change of land use plan to proceed easily, our sources say.

When contacted, the Permanent Secretary in the Lands ministry Mr Alphayo Kidata ruled out any possibility of converting the intended use of the land in the said areas.

He reassured The Citizen on telephone, “Take it from me: there is not going to be any review of land use plan. We are entrusted to oversee proper use of our land in this country and we have always stood by the law and regulations guiding the use of the land.”

He said for now, what he knows is that the Oysterbay-Masaki Redevelopment Plan endorsed by the Cabinet was final and still in force.