Makonda responds to allegations of involvement in assassination attempt on Tundu Lissu

Arusha. Paul Makonda, the Regional Commissioner (RC) of Arusha, has for the first time addressed accusations linking him to the 2017 assassination attempt on the Vice-Chairman of Chadema (Mainland), Tundu Lissu.

Lissu, who was a prominent opposition figure at the time, was shot multiple times on September 7, 2017, in an attack that took place in Dodoma.

The shooting occurred in the Area D neighborhood of Dodoma, where Lissu was inside his car, preparing to leave after attending parliamentary sessions.

More than 30 bullets were fired at his vehicle, with 16 striking him in various parts of his body.

Following the attack, Lissu was rushed to Dodoma Referral Hospital for initial treatment and later transferred to Nairobi, Kenya, for further care. In January 2018, he was moved to Belgium for additional medical treatment and only returned to Tanzania in 2020.

The incident raised widespread debate, particularly because it took place in an area inhabited by senior government officials, including ministers and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament at the time. Lissu, who was the Member of Parliament for Singida East and the Chief Whip of the Official Opposition at the time of the shooting, has consistently accused Makonda of being involved in orchestrating the attack.

Speaking at a press conference in September 2024, Lissu, a trained lawyer, claimed that Makonda, who was serving as the Regional Commissioner for Dar es Salaam at that time, was behind the attack. He alleged that Makonda was not in Dar es Salaam on the day of the shooting but was instead in Dodoma leading the operation. "This is the third or fourth time I’ve publicly mentioned Paul Makonda. The evidence and information I have point to him as the leader of the operation, which explains why he was not present at the presidential event in Dar es Salaam that day. He was dealing with my situation in Dodoma," Lissu said.

But Makonda, who was presenting his six-month performance report as Regional Commissioner for Arusha, was questioned about Lissu’s claims. He firmly rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless. Makonda stated that on the day of the attack, he was in Dar es Salaam, attending a medical campaign at Mnazi Mmoja grounds. He further stated that if the government had intended to carry out such an operation, they would not have chosen him, given that he had never even traveled abroad at the time.

"I have heard Lissu's claims and continue to hear them, but considering his current situation, I am not surprised. I take comfort in the fact that he believes I can help him advance his political career," Makonda remarked.

He also expressed disbelief that Lissu, a prominent lawyer, had not taken legal action regarding the accusations. "If I were accused by a senior political figure of such serious allegations, especially a lawyer who knows the judicial system inside and out, I would have expected him to have filed a case in court by now," Makonda said.

In his comments, Makonda stressed that no president would ever direct the formation of a task force to carry out such actions without proper authority. "I have heard many accusations, including claims that Magufuli was a good man who had great love for his people," he added, as the audience responded with applause.

As of now, no legal action has been initiated by Lissu in relation to the shooting, and the allegations remain a point of contention in Tanzanian politics.