The First Tanzanian Chief of Defense Forces, Retired General Mirisho Sarakikya went to the same military school with ‘James Bond!’
Well at least, General Sarakikya didn’t exactly rub shoulders with Double ‘O’ Seven, but was trained at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, the same facility which Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond 007 attended.
The Arusha-born, General Sarakikya, enjoyed several outdoor escapades that even James Bond would have undertaken, including scaling Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro more than 41 times, in addition to also climbing Tanzania’s second tallest summit, Mount Meru.
And General; Sarakikya lives in retirement on the slopes of Mount Meru, in a modest house located at the Nkoaranga Village of Meru District, Arusha Region.
As the Tanzania People’s Defense Forces marks its 60th Anniversary since the army’s formation it has come to light that the first chief of defense forces, General Sarakikya who was born in 1934 is also hitting the 90th milestone, but still strong.
Other than helping to build the first national army, Sarakikya also worked to translate all the commands from English to Kiswahili, something which even Uganda emulated later.
Apart from serving as the chief of the national armed forces, General Mirisho Sarakikya was also commissioned to work as Tanzanian ambassador to among other countries, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Kenya.
He also played the role of Sports Minister and during his tenure Tanzania set the world record for the 1500 Marathon through Filbert Bayi.
The Tanzania People’s Defense Forces (TPDF) was formed after an aborted mutiny in 1964, when the former Tanganyika Rifles was disbanded and fresh recruits were sought within the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) youth wing as a source.
For the first few years of the People’s Defence Force, the army kicked off with1000 youngsters.
The number was even smaller than the 2,000 strong Tanganyika Rifles. Its air force was minuscule, and no navy had yet been formed.
However, the army grew to become four battalions strong by 1967.
From 1964 to 1974, the TPDF was commanded by General Mirisho Sarakikya, who was trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and who was promoted from lieutenant to brigadier in 1964 and became the force’s first commander aged only 30 then.
During his time at Sandhurst, Sarakikya trained alongside former Nigerian leader, Murtala Mohammed who later became his best friend.
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