By Sarah Ibrahim and Brian Okoth

Tanzanian musician Diamond Platnumz has been branded a serial dater. To many in East Africa, the award-winning artiste from Tandale in Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, is Fela Kuti reincarnate. He loves women, drinks from their vulnerabilities as he would an elixir, but again, he has what it takes to attract them — as many would argue — fame, money and influence. Diamond has dated at least seven famous women post-2009, when he rose to stardom.

Today, his seventh publicly known relationship is said to be on the rocks. It is rumored the Kamwambie star and Kenya’s Tanasha Oketch — the mother of his fourth child — are no longer drinking from the same straw. Where did the rain start beating the couple?

We take a look at the lovebirds’ 15-month love journey that has been filled with moments of pure love — at least publicly — and pure turbulence — at least privately.

November 27, 2018: Diamond and Tanasha start relationship

On November 27, 2018 Diamond Platnumz took to his Instagram page to announce that he had found Zari Hassan’s successor. Unlike his previous love interests — Tanzania and Uganda — this time around Diamond had made inroads into Kenya, and was to start a love affair with a 23-year-old little known radio presenter whose Instagram following stood at just below 100, 000. Today — 15 months later — that following has grown eighteen-fold, and stands at 1.8 million.

The multi-award-winning Diamond Platnumz broke news of his new relationship on Instagram after posting pictures and videos of himself and Tanasha Oketch having a good time at Mtwara Beach in southeastern Tanzania. The musician had just concluded performing at his inaugural Wasafi Festival.

“Hey people of Mtwara, I am here with your in-law. We are here to have a good time,” wrote Diamond on Instagram, confirming that his 9-month stay in the romance cold was effectively over. Remember, he and Zari Hassan went separate ways on February 14, 2018.

Shortly after kick-starting the relationship with Tanasha, there were rumours online that the pair’s said-love affair was only founded on the then-need to hype the singer’s Wasafi shows in Kenya that were scheduled for December 2018. Remember, NRG Radio, where Tanasha worked at as a radio host, was the official sponsor of Diamond’s then-Wasafi shows in Kenya.

Time flew by, and the rumour was quickly swept into abyss, as the two continued to share lovey-dovey moments on and offline.

Early December 2018: Diamond announces wedding date

In early December 2018, just a few days after starting a new relationship with Tanasha, Diamond announced that he was going to tie the knot with the Kenyan beauty on February 14, 2019. The musician made the announcement on Wasafi Television.

So big was the announcement that it caught the attention of Diamond’s father, Abdul Juma. It is public knowledge that the artiste and his dad have always had a strained relationship since the musician was 6 years old.

Speaking to Tanzania’s Showbiz Xtra on December 13, 2018, Abdul Juma said he would be glad to attend the crooner’s wedding, despite not being informed about it.

“No one has told me about my son’s wedding plans. Though, I have heard people in my neighbourhood claiming that there is such an arrangement. The most important thing, however, is that he fulfills his plan, which is to get married. May God bless his union. However, I would urge him to invite me to the wedding on the day he holds it. If he fails to do that, I would take his action as one meant to prove to me that he disrespects me; I would be hurt,” said Juma.

January 7, 2019: Diamond announces cancellation of wedding plans

On January 7, 2019 Diamond Platnumz said he had postponed his wedding plan with Tanasha as allegations swirled online that the love between the pair had become sour. Speaking to Wasafi Television, Diamond said he was changing his wedding date to the Kenyan beauty from February 14 to a later date because he “wants the ceremony to be grand, and one that will be attended by ‘many people’.”

“My wedding was supposed to be held on Valentine’s Day – February 14 –, but we have postponed it. Many people are supposed to attend the ceremony. I expect the likes of Rick Ross, among other high-profile entertainment figures, to be in attendance,” said Diamond.

The fact that the singer did not announce the fresh wedding date raised eyebrows online.

February 12, 2019: Family warns Tanasha against getting pregnant

On February 13, 2019, Tanzania’s Ijumaa Newspaper reported that Tanasha Oketch’s family had warned Diamond Platnumz against impregnating her out of wedlock.

The revelations came on the back of claims that Tanasha was expecting the musician’s baby. The then-23-year-old, however, came out to refute those rumours.

Well-placed sources from Tanasha’s family in Mombasa told the news outlet that they had warned Diamond against getting a baby with Tanasha, who, they said, “was brought up in a highly-religious background”.

The informant, a kinsperson to Tanasha, was quoted as saying: “There are a lot of things [we have spoken to Tanasha about her relationship with Diamond]. However, what stands out is the ultimatum the family has put on her – that she shouldn’t get a baby with Diamond out of wedlock. That decision was arrived at after deliberating on many issues,” the insider told the news outlet.

“What you should know is that Tanasha comes from a very religious family; her parents strictly adhere to Christian doctrines, and wouldn’t want their daughter to disobey the teachings.”

The source, however, stated that Tanasha’s family was not opposed to their daughter’s relationship with the award-winning crooner.

“What we won’t entertain is him [Diamond] taking advantage of our daughter, and ditching her thereafter,” said the informant.

July 7, 2019: Diamond and Tanasha announce pregnancy

It seems the said-family advice to Tanasha against getting pregnant by Diamond fell on deaf ears.

On July 7, 2019, as Tanasha celebrated her 24th birthday, Diamond Platnumz announced that he and the birthday girl were expecting their first child together.

“Today I would like to announce that my girlfriend Tanasha and I are expecting a child. We have been hiding it for some time but I don’t think it’s fair,” he said at the party held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

“The pregnancy is 7 months, so we have two months to welcome a new family member who we expect will be the strength of the nation,” added Diamond Platnumz.

The visibly elated singer then handed over the microphone to Tanasha to announce the gender, complete with fireworks and blue sparklers to represent a baby boy.

On October 2, 2019, which happened to be Diamond’s birthday, Tanasha gave birth to a bouncing baby boy.

Early December 2019: Tanasha leaves Diamond’s house

In early December 2019, Tanzania’s Global Publishers reported that Tanasha had shipped out of the musician’s Mbezi Beach home in Dar es Salaam after she fell out with Diamond’s mum, Sanura Kassim. Tanasha flew to Kenya, her native country.

The outlet reported that Tanasha and Kassim fell out bitterly a few days to November 26, when the Kenyan radio presenter and her partner, Diamond Platnumz, celebrated 40 days of their son’s life, according to Islamic practice. The ceremony was held at Kassim’s home in Madale-Tegeta in Dar es Salaam.

Throughout the party, the Tanzanian outlet said, Tanasha and Kassim never interacted, or exchanged pleasantries as a daughter-in-law and a mother-in-law would.

The genesis of their bad blood, Global Publishers reported, occurred a few days to the party, when Diamond’s mum arrived at the musician’s home in Mbezi Beach, Dar es Salaam, accompanied by tens of her friends, but Tanasha declined to greet the visitors, or allow them see her [Tanasha’s] son, Naseeb Junior.

The 24-year-old was said to have locked herself and her son in the bedroom, leaving Diamond’s mum to story the evening away with her friends in the living room. The outlet said Kassim’s friends later left without seeing, or holding Tanasha’s baby. It was that development that sparked anger in Diamond’s mum, leading to a bitter fall-out between her and her son’s lover. The developments of that day spilled over to subsequent days.

“By the time Tanasha was leaving for Kenya recently, she was not on talking terms with her boyfriend’s mother,” said the insider.

“She packed her things, her baby’s clothes and left without saying a word to Diamond’s mum. I am not sure if she [Tanasha] will return anytime soon,” said the source.

When reached for comment by Global Publishers, Diamond’s mum confirmed that Tanasha had left for Kenya.

“I do not know where you got the allegations that Tanasha and I fell out; treat such claims as false and rumour-motivated,” said Kassim.

Asked on why she did not exchange pleasantries with Tanasha during her [Sanura’s] grandson’s party on November 26, Sanura said: “Did you want me to follow her all over the place? People should stop engaging in baseless speculations.”

On claims that Tanasha shipped out without even saying a word to her, Sanura said: “That is not true. I stayed with her until the advanced stages of her pregnancy. So, there is no way she would have left without informing me.”

Asked whether Tanasha will visit Tanzania anytime soon, Sanura said: “I do not know. If you really want an answer to that question, then go look for her in Kenya and pose the question to her.”

Sanura Kassim said — after Tanasha left — that she was still camping at Diamond’s Mbezi Beach home.

March 1, 2020: Tanasha deletes Diamond’s pictures

On March 1, 2020 Tanasha deleted all the pictures of Diamond Platnumz from her Instagram page, sparking speculation that she had ended her relationship with the singer. Also deleted from her timeline, were pictures she had taken with the musician’s family members, including his mother, Sanura Kassim, and sister, Esma Platnumz.

What followed, was an Insta Stories post in which she said she was tired of being in a relationship with a narcissist.

The deletion of Diamond’s pictures came just over a month after the Tanzanian artiste failed to show up at Tanasha’s Extended Play (EP) launch on January 31, 2020. Diamond said he had family commitments to attend to, hence his absence from the Tanasha event.

What people around Diamond and Tanasha have to say

When K24 Digital reached Tanasha’s communications rep, Nigel, for comment on Tuesday, March 3, he said: “I am sorry Tanasha won’t address the media until April 2020.”

We also reached Diamond Platnumz’s manager, Babu Tale, to comment on the status of Diamond’s relationship with Tanasha, and he said: “I am sorry, I only manage his music career, and not love life.”

Are Tanasha and Diamond still together? Only time will tell.

Women in Diamond’s life

Meanwhile, the seven women Diamond has dated in his post-2009 years include: Wema Sepetu (actress), Zari Hassan (socialite), Jokate Mwegelo (District Commissioner), Penny Mungilwa (TV presenter), Naj (model), Hamisa Mobeto (video vixen), and Tanasha Oketch (ex-radio host-turned-musician).