Paul Makonda

Paul Christian Makonda /pɔːl//krɪstjən//məkɒndə/// ^ⓘ (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. ^{[citation needed]}

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.