Mtwara Municipal Council(Mtwara-Mikindani) is a name that combines the two words which are Mtwara and Mikindani. to be abducted (invaded and taken captive). This area later became the home of Arabs and other people who had been abducted as slaves and sold.
The word Mikindani is derived from the word Mikinda i.e. an area where coconut trees do not grow well. 75% of the people of Mtwara are Makonde, followed by Wayao and lastly are Makua. As is common in other regions of Tanzania there are some people living in Mtwara.
The history of the establishment of the full authority of the Mtwara-Mikindani Municipal Council began in 1948, during the colonial period they moved the Port of Mtwara from Mikindani where it was originally.
Mtwara Mikindani Municipality covers an area of 163 square kilometers equivalent to 0.97% of the total area of Mtwara Region. Mtwara Mikindani Municipality to the east is bordered by the Indian Ocean, to the north, to the west and to the south by the Mtwara District Council. This council is administratively divided into the following constituencies with one constituency, 18 wards, 111 localities and 2 divisions.
According to the 2012 Population and Housing Census, the population of the Municipality was 108,299 (Ke 57,237 and Me 51,062) As of 2017 the council is estimated to have 115,623 people with an increase of 1.6% per annum (Ke 61,108, and Me 54,515).
In terms of economic activities, 84 percent of the people of Mtwara Mikindani Municipality are engaged in business, 12.4 percent are engaged in agriculture, where the food crops are Maize, Cassava, Millet, Peas, Peanuts Stones, Legumes. The commercial crops grown are Cashew, Peanuts and Sesame and 3.6 percent of the people of the Municipality are engaged in small and medium enterprises.
The council has allocated and surveyed 505.47 acres of plots for the construction of factories, warehouses and a large power station. These plots have been surveyed in Mtepwezi areas in Likombe ward and Chihiko areas in Mtawanya ward. To date, the council has a total of 281.62 acres with 74 plots that are ready for various applicants who are ready to build factories. In addition to setting aside areas for industry, the Council has also surveyed an area of 223.85 acres for the construction of a power station in the Mtepwezi area. .
Mtwara Urban is one of the five districts of the Mtwara Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the north by the Lindi Region, to the east by the Indian Ocean and to the south and west by the Mtwara Rural District.
Wards
The Mtwara Urban District is administratively its divided into 2 divisions (Mtwara Urban and Mikindani Division), and has 15 wards, 185 mitaas (streets), 6 villages and 27 hamlets.
The Mtwara Urban Division is well paved with roads and consist of most CBDs.It has 10 wards:
Chikongola
Chuno
Likombe
Majengo
Railway
Shangani
Ufukoni
Vigaeni
Rahaleo
Naliesndele
The Mikindani Division consists of a small colonial historical town (Mikindani) and has 5 wards:-
Mitengo
Mtonya
Magengeni
Kisungure
Jangwani