Advertisement

Makonda: The self-made man many love to hate

Wednesday March 29 2017

Paul Makonda bust into the limelight in 2015, when he was accused of beating up retired judge Joseph Warioba, who was the chairman of Constitutional Review Commission. The judge had come up with a draft constitution that CCM did not like.

At a meeting in a Dar es Salaam, where participants were debating the Warioba Draft, angry CCM youth booed the judge and some tried to rough him up. In the melee was Mr Makonda, who later said he was just trying to protect the judge.

Mr Makonda was born on February 15, 1982 at Kolomije village in Mwanza Region, western Tanzania. He attended Lake Secondary School and Mbegani Fishery College, before joining Moshi University College for Co-operative and Business Studies, a constituent college of Sokoine University of Agriculture.

He was appointed a District Commissioner on February 18, 2015 by president Jakaya Kikwete, a move that was criticised by those who claimed he lacked experience. But as a DC, he gained popularity for his unique style of addressing societal problems. He first embarked on a spirited crackdown on prostitutes and homosexuals.

He was appointed regional commissioner for Dar es Salaam by President John Magufuli on March 13, 2016, and he hit the ground running, leading a major operation against shisha smoking in the city.

Then early this year, Mr Makonda launched an anti-drug war: Through a series of televised press conferences in which he named businessmen, politicians, clerics, artistes and some ordinary citizens suspected of trafficking and use of narcotics. He summoned them to police stations for interrogation after which some of them underwent drug tests. After the tests, some were charged in court and others released.

Advertisement

While some members of parliament condemned the naming as unlawful, a defiant Makonda said he would not listen to “people who only doze off in the parliament.”

The National Assembly instructed its Clerk to summon him to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Immunities, Powers and Privileges for questioning. As the storm gathered a prominent Bishop Josephat Gwajima started criticising the RC. Then a clip was released on social media, in which a woman claimed she had a baby with the bishop and he had abandoned her.

A few days later, Mr Makonda stormed the Clouds Media station, accompanied by armed police and demanded airing of the clip.
That is what led Information Minister Nape Nnauye, a critic of the RC, to condemn the incident and visit the TV station to “get the truth of the matter.” He formed a probe team and asked it also to get Mr Makonda’s side of the story.

The same morning Mr Nnauye formed the team, President Magufuli told Mr Makonda to ignore the “noise” and keep working.

Mr Makonda is described as a self-made man who did menial jobs in Mwanza and Dar es Salaam to pay his school fees.

His critics have demanded a lifestyle audit to establish the source of his wealth. A member of parliament. Joseph Selasini, once claimed that Mr Makonda owned an apartment worth $262,952 and had given his wife a $250,000 Mercedes Benz as a birthday present. The allegations were never proved.

READ: Rebel minister Nnauye sacked. Will he join rebellion in CCM?

Advertisement