A court has ordered Tanzanian musician Harmonize to pay Ksh5.4 million after failing to repay a bank loan
Bongo Flava star Rajabu Abdul Kahali Ibrahim, popularly known as Harmonize, has been ordered by the Tanzanian High Court to pay CRDB Bank Tsh113,185,755.16 (Ksh5.4 million) after defaulting on a loan. In Commercial Case No. 151/2023, the court issued a default judgment in favor of the bank after Harmonize repeatedly failed to appear in court and did not submit his defense.
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Judge Cleophas K. Morris, who presided over the case, noted that after reviewing all the evidence, the musician was found to be at fault. The court ordered Harmonize to pay the outstanding amount, along with 18% interest per annum from the date of default to the date of the judgment, and 7% interest on the total sum from the judgment date until full payment. Additionally, the court awarded the bank Tsh10,000,000 in general damages.
The case stems from a loan agreement made on October 10, 2019, in which CRDB Bank provided Harmonize with two credit facilities totaling Tsh300 million (Ksh14.2 million). The loans, intended to fund music equipment, a production studio, and promotional activities, were to be repaid within three years with an interest rate of 18% per annum. The agreement required Harmonize to channel all his business proceeds through a designated account.
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However, despite initially repaying the loan, Harmonize eventually defaulted. After failing to respond to multiple court summonses, the bank pursued legal action. The court issued several orders for Harmonize to appear or submit a written defense, including one by publication in the Mwananchi newspaper, but he failed to comply. Although the bank had previously accommodated Harmonize by reducing his monthly payments, he defaulted again, leading to the court’s final ruling.
