Mrisho S.H. Sarakikya
Nickname(s)General Mutukula
Born1934
Meru District, Arusha, Tanganyika
Allegiance Britain
 Tanganyika
 Tanzania
Service/branchKing's African Rifles
Tanganyika Rifles
Tanzania People's Defence Force
Years of service1958–1974
RankMajor General
Battles/warsUganda–Tanzania War

Mrisho S.H. Sarakikya was the first chief of the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF). He was given command of the TPDF soon after the army mutiny of 1964, when either a captain (Reuters 1967) or a lieutenant (Kaplan 1978).

Early life

He was born at Meru, Tanganyika in 1934. He attended Nkoaranga Lutheran Primary School and then moving on to Old Moshi secondary school. Due to his performance, he was then invited to the prestigious Tabora Government Secondary School.[1] Once graduating, he entered the Tanganyikan portion of the King's African Rifles as a private in 1958; and later attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[2]

Military career

During the mutiny within the newly form Tanganyika Rifles in 1964, Sarakikya was in Tabora and remained loyal to Nyerere. Following the aftermath, other senior officers were dismissed or sacked and he was given command of the newly formed Tanzania People's Defence Force.[3] From 1964 to 1974, he commanded the TPDF.[4] He was succeeded by Lieutenant General Abdallah Twalipo.[5]

References

  1. ↑ bjerk, paul bjerkpaul (2011-01-01), "Sarakikya, Mrisho", Dictionary of African Biography, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780195382075.001.0001/acref-9780195382075-e-1813, ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5, retrieved 2021-11-24
  2. ↑ Sydney Taylor, ed. (1967). The New Africans: Reuters Guide to the Contemporary History of Emergent Africa & its Leaders. London: Paul Hamlyn. p. 434.
  3. ↑ "Maj. Gen. Mrisho S. Sarakikya | Tanzania Foreign Ministry Official List". www.tzembassy.go.tz. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  4. ↑ Irving Kaplan, Tanzania: A Country Study, Library of Congress Country Studies, First Edition, 1978, p. 248–249, and General Sarakikya attends Royal Military Academy's 50th reunion in Sandhurst Archived 2013-07-24 at the Wayback Machine, Arusha Times, 13–19 August 2011.
  5. ↑ Irving Kaplan, Tanzania: A Country Study, Library of Congress Country Studies, First Edition, 1978, p. 249, says that Twalipo took command in 1974.
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