Makunduchi

Makunduchi (Mji wa Makunduchi in Swahili) is a historic town and district capital in the Kusini District of the Unguja South Region in Tanzania. It is located inside the Kajengwa ward, and Mtegani ward, occupying Kiongoni neighborhood, Nganani neighborhood and Kijini neighborhood. The town comprises two distinct settlements, about 2 km from each other, "Old Makunduchi" on the east and "New Makunduchi". Old Makunduchi is a small fishermen's village on the shore of the Indian Ocean with the Nganani mtaa (neighborhood), while New Makunduchi has some modern buildings, shops, as well as some blocks of flats that were built in the 1970s with the aid of East Germans in return for Tanzanian political support internationally. The town is also the birthplace and resting place for the 4th president of Zanzibar Idris Abdul Wakil. Makunduchi is also the birthplace of Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of Tanzania. Other famous politicians for Makunduchi include Mohamed Gharib Bilal. Also famous novelist Muhammed Said Abdulla.

==History== The Wahadimu are the Zanzibar Island's original inhabitants, and Makunduchi's native residents. Their old settlement Makunduchi can still be found in the southeast of the island's shore. According to the Native Census of 1924 done by the British, a total of 3,911 people lived there: 1,190 adult males, 1,531 adult females, 615 boys, and 575 girls. There are 1,579 cottages in total. The residents claim that the name Makunduchi is derived from the name of the place they claim to have come from, which was called Kunduchi and was located on the mainland across from the island's southernmost portion.