Jokate Mwegelo

JOKATE URBAN MWEGELO, 33 years old, is a Politician and the District Commissioner (DC) for Kisarawe District, Pwani Region-Tanzania. Jokate a Political Scientist by profession with a family background in International Diplomacy chartered her previous career as a Forbes internationally recognized Young Woman Entrepreneur, an awarded Development and Rights Advocate, and a recognized Fashion and Media Personality. Shortly after venturing into party politics as CCMs Youth Wing UVCCM Secretary of Public Relations and Mobilization; Jokate was appointed by the President of Tanzania Hon. John Pombe Magufuli, into the President's Office as a District Commissioner in late July, 2018; where among others, she chairs the Defense and Security Committee and oversees the District's Sustainable Development with various partners in collaboration with the District Council.

Jokate is currently one among the most influential young leaders in Africa and has earned various influential national and international leadership awards such as: Awarded First Place (2018/2019) Korea Foundation for International Health Care (KOFIH); on SRH, Maternal and Neonatal Health Promotions Honorary Award by Tanzania Gender Networking Program (TGNP) for District Budgets on Gender Sensitive Issues, and the most recent Most Influential Young Tanzanian in Law and Governance by Avance Media, two years in a row also naming her the most influential female in Tanzania (2018-2020). In 2019, Jokate was also listed among the Top 50 women in management by Women In Management Africa.

Jokate led the National Award Winning Most Influential Education Campaign Tokomeza Zero Kisarawe which not only garnered more than Tsh. 1 Billion to repair education infrastructure and build classes; but also has successfully built the innovative 460 Girl Students; Jokate Girls Secondary Boarding School in Kisarawe, along with creating temporary boarding safe spaces for National Exams Candidate Students. This has not only eliminated half of National Exam failures in Kisarawe, but also has created safe spaces for Girls students to study and pursue their dreams away from predatory harmful practices of rape, early marriages and children pregnancies.

Jokate is currently building up focus to collaborate with various stakeholders in the Government, Development Partners and Private Sector on Economic Empowerment Programs for Women and Youths. She is engineering a plan to transform Kisarawe District into a commercial hub of Innovative Agriculture and Manufacturing employing advanced technologies targeting Dar Es Salaam and Export Markets. By mobilizing around USD 4 Million of Stakeholders within 3 years, she believes it is possible to create more than 30,000 jobs by building more than 100 youth and women-led agribusiness startup companies.