| Paul Makonda | |
| Term Start: | 22 October 2023 |
| Predecessor: | Sophia Mjema |
| Office2: | CCM Secretary for Ideology and Publicity |
| Term Start2: | 22 October 2023 |
| Predecessor2: | Sophia Mjema |
| Office3: | Regional Commissioner of Dar es Salaam |
| Term Start3: | 14 March 2016 |
| Term End3: | 15 July 2020 |
| Appointer3: | John Magufuli |
| Predecessor3: | Mecky Sadick |
| Successor3: | Abubakar Kunenge |
| Birth Name: | Paul Christian Makonda |
| Birth Date: | 15 February 1982 |
| Birth Place: | Mwanza Region, Tanzania |
| Party: | Chama Cha Mapinduzi |
| Alma Mater: | Moshi Co-operative University Mzumbe University |
Paul Christian Makonda (born 15 February 1982)[1] is the Regional Commissioner of Arusha, Tanzania.[2] [3]
Makonda gained popularity during a constitutional amendment referendum, where he was among a few members of a special parliamentary session that was tasked with drafting a new Constitution.[4] He would later become more prominent in politics, first acting as the District Commissioner (DC) for Kinondoni before being appointed Regional Commissioner(RC)of Dar es Salaam by the late President, John Pombe Magufuli, in 2016.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
In 2017, Makonda staged war against the LGBTQ community in Dar es Salaam, an act that was condemned by human rights groups.[11] Despite all this, his political approach was praised by some for its accomplishments such as his crackdown on prostitution activities, tackling the street urchin situation but also initiating a financial aid program to support single and neglected young mothers.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania, Makonda believed the disease had been eradicated through national prayer echoing the rhetoric of the former president despite all evidence suggesting the contrary. [12]
In 2024 Makonda was appointed Regional Commissioner for Arusha region by H.E Samia Suluhu Hassan.
In a press statement issued by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on 31 January 2020,[13] [14] Makonda was assigned a public designation and barred from entering the United States due to "his involvement in gross violations of human rights, which include the flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or the security of persons".[15] The statement also stated that the US had credible information that Makonda was "implicated in oppression of the political opposition, crackdowns on freedom of expression and association, and the targeting of marginalized individuals".[16] [17] The designation also applied to his wife, Mary Felix Massenge.[18] [19]