By Issa Michuzi
There was a time (not so long ago) Arusha was the best town in Tanzania. Yes, very peaceful and business-minded.
It hosted the East African Community (EAC) headquarters, the UN court for the Rwanda genocide, the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), Pan African Court, East and Central African Health body, the Pan African Postal Union, East, Central and Southern African Management Institute and was a portal to the great Serengeti and other northern circuit tourist attractions.
It maintained all of that, plus an own rhythm – relaxed, orchestrated and quietly wonderful.
That was until Madam President Samia Suluhu Hassan rolled out the red carpet for the whole world and transformed Arusha into an all-year round global tourism extravaganza.
A bit of history first: Originally a small German military outpost from the 1900s, Arusha became a bustling centre for coffee farmers and traders and later, the safari capital of Africa.
When Tanzania gained independence in 1961, Arusha was already an important focal point, becoming famous afterwards with the adoption of the Arusha Declaration, blueprint for Ujamaa, Tanzania’s brand of socialism.
But even with all that political heft, Arusha never saw itself as a party town. It was a place of serious business, of people talking governance, peace negotiations, sipping coffee, preparing for safaris.
All that changed when Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan starred in The Royal Tour, a tourism blockbuster by which she’d claim the first spot in Tollywood’s hall of fame. And just overnight, Arusha became more than merely the layover before the Serengeti – it was the main event.
Tourists poured into the hotels and plains, and soon, high season and low season merged into one constant stream of guests.
But just before Arusha city settled into the new business as usual, along came RC Paul Makonda.
The new regional commissioner wasted no time, hitting the ground, not running, but sprinting, like he had the invisible turbo button.
His first mission? The streets.
Arusha’s street kids — better known as Machalii wa Arusha (Arusha buddies) – had long been the ghost citizens of the city.
These were the people who were there, everyone could see them, but no one did really care about them.
RC Makonda determined that this’d soon end. Rather than shaking them off, he wrapped himself around them. Literally.
The man walked the streets, talked to them and in a single bold gesture, changed them from undesirables scaring tourists into unofficial ambassadors for the city.
No more muggings, no more petty theft — only camaraderie, dignity and a new beginning. The Chaliis were reborn, and along with them the vibe of an entire city changed.
Then came the events. Oh, the spectacular events.
It began on a subtle note, when the RC touted Arusha’s motorcycle future.
Captured in action: Barbecue chefs in a recent Nyama Choma festival along a street leading to the famous Arusha Clock Tower (Africa’s midpoint between Cairo and Cape Town).
“Arusha, the Geneva of Africa as dubbed by the former US President Bill Clinton, is now the continent’s centre of fun and laughter.”
A casual meetup became a worldwide biking festival, with motorheads coming from far and wide.
Before anyone had a chance to really grasp what was afoot, he’d started the World Record Land Rover Party, a gathering so gargantuan even the Queen’s loyalists back in Britain were forced to take note.
Arusha had officially achieved the status of Land Rover capital of the world.
But Paul wasn’t done yet. The next agenda: The Day of Prayers. This was the day the Arusha residents filled the streets in record numbers to pray.
And as if Arusha had plateaued on the festivities, some annual corporate meeting provided Paul yet another excuse to throw a townwide street party.
The smoke from the nyama choma wafted high, making the whole city one massive barbecue. You could smell the celebration for miles. And the visitors and locals mixed, danced and feasted as if there was no tomorrow.
The cherry on top was New Year’s Eve. If July was hot, then December was volcanic. Fireworks exploded in the Arusha sky and the streets teemed with revellers marking not just the turn of the year but the dawn of a new Arusha — one that was fun, peaceful and full of surprises.
President Samia knew, in her wisdom, that Arusha, even with the goodwill of East Africa and the world behind it, needed something special to ride the momentum of The Royal Tour.
To this, she dispatched Paul, who sometimes runs ahead of himself. The result? A city transformed into the beating heart of global tourism and entertainment.
Today Arusha is not just a safari pit stop. It is an experience, a celebration. It is a city of contrasts, a meeting point of cultures, past and future.
Or so says an innovative youth-led campaign to bring youth to the city as part of the coverage of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
