Tundu Lissu Stories

US senators call for review of Washington’s ties with Tanzania after deadly polls
Mary Wambui  |  Nov 15, 2025

The senators described the October 29 elections as a sham, citing vote manipulation, abductions, and state-sponsored suppression.

CHADEMA leaders escape Tanzania to Kenya amid rising threats and abductions
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Nov 13, 2025

Facing raids, abductions, and threats to their lives, Tanzanian CHADEMA leaders have crossed into Kenya seeking urgent protection.

38 days of torture: Kenyan activists Njagi and Oyoo, abducted at gunpoint in Uganda, tell harrowing story
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Nov 12, 2025

Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo describe being abducted, held in a freezer, denied family contact, and subjected to starvation and torture during a 38-day...

Kenyan activists Bob Njagi, Nicholas Oyoo to sue Uganda in regional court over abduction
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Nov 12, 2025

After being held and tortured in Kampala, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo launch legal action against Uganda to challenge cross-border political repressio...

Government moves to ease burden on low-income land settlers with penalty waivers
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Nov 11, 2025

Cabinet scraps interest and penalties on Sh12.3 billion in land loans, giving thousands of settlers a chance to secure title deeds, invest in agricult...

Tanzania's Chadema party officials including deputy chair John Heche freed on bail after weeks in custody
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Nov 11, 2025

The other officials released include Deputy Secretary-General (Mainland) Amani Golugwa, Central Committee member Godbless Lema, and Coastal Zone Chair...

Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s treason trial delayed again amid security concerns in Dar es Salaam
Lucy Mumbi  |  Nov 10, 2025

State Counsel Thawabu Issa told the High Court that the Prisons Department was unable to present Lissu in court, citing safety concerns.

Tanzania’s President Samia extends olive branch, but crackdown on dissent keeps critics wary
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Nov 10, 2025

Despite urging dialogue and reconciliation, President Samia’s government continues to detain key opposition leaders, fueling doubts over her commitmen...

CHADEMA Deputy Secretary General Amani Golugwa arrested as crackdown intensifies
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Nov 08, 2025

Golugwa becomes the third senior party leader to be detained in recent weeks, following the arrests of Chairperson Tundu Lissu and Vice-Chairperson Jo...

Canada, Norway, UK condemn post-election violence in Tanzania
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Nov 01, 2025

Tension in the country escalated as citizens took to the streets, alleging that the elections were manipulated to favour President Samia Suluhu Hassan...

European Union slams Tanzania elections, citing fear, censorship and violence
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Oct 30, 2025

EU officials say the polls were neither free nor fair, pointing to opposition arrests, voter intimidation and blocked observers.

Tanzania tells students to stay home after tense election
DW News  |  Oct 30, 2025

The AFP news agency cited a diplomatic source as saying that protests continued into the night despite a curfew imposed on Wednesday.

Tanzania orders civil servants to work from home amid post-election unrest
Mwangi Maina  |  Oct 30, 2025

The election, in which the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party is expected to retain power, has been widely criticised as uncompetitive.

Tanzania heads to polls with President Samia expected to secure another term in one-sided election
Mwangi Maina  |  Oct 29, 2025

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the country's first female head of state, is widely expected to retain power in what observers describe as a contest wi...

Outrage as over 40 African leaders condemn Tanzania’s Samia over Tundu Lissu’s detention
Lucy Mumbi  |  Oct 28, 2025

The group accused the Tanzanian government of persecuting the two opposition figures for their pro-democracy stance and silencing dissent ahead of the...

Tanzania’s pre-election tensions deepen as opposition official arrested
Mwangi Maina  |  Oct 23, 2025

The episode underscores the uneasy political climate in Tanzania, where civic space remains constrained despite promises of reform under President Sam...

What you need to know about Tanzania's election
DW News  |  Oct 22, 2025

Tanzania is days away from a general election. Here are five things to watch as East Africa's biggest nation decides.

Amnesty flags arrests, abductions and killings ahead of Tanzania’s 2025 elections
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Oct 20, 2025

The report also documented multiple cases of enforced disappearances and killings. In July 2024, Chadema official Dioniz Kipanya vanished after leavin...

Chadema official claims authorities blocked him, party members from attending Raila's funeral
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Oct 19, 2025

While Heche did not specify the delegation's full composition, he was expected to represent Tundu Lissu, who remains in custody in Tanzania amid an on...

Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan has ushered in a new era of authoritarianism: Here's how
The Conversation  |  Oct 07, 2025

The consequence is that Samia is running to be re-elected as the president of Tanzania, opposed only by minor candidates. This is a scenario without p...

President Samia Suluhu's critic Humphrey Polepole abducted, family says
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Oct 07, 2025

Polepole resigned as Tanzania's ambassador to Cuba in July, citing concerns about the country's direction under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Mombasa residents urged to resolve decades-old land disputes through dialogue
Farhiya Hussein  |  Oct 07, 2025

Lands CECM, Mohamed Hussein appealed to property owners and affected families to pursue alternative dispute resolution mechanisms as a more effective...

Tundu Lissu battles treason charges as high-stakes Tanzanian election nears
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Oct 07, 2025

The Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) leader survived a 2017 assassination attempt, during which he was shot 16 times, though no one has bee...

Tanzania warns against online misinformation after viral video criticising government
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Oct 06, 2025

In the video, a man claiming to be Captain Tesha from the air force accuses President Samia Suluhu’s government of corruption, human rights abuses, an...

Tanzania’s ruling party has crushed the opposition - the elections are a mere formality
The Conversation  |  Oct 03, 2025

With the opposition pushed aside and a controlled electoral process underway, CCM’s victory is all but certain. The key question now is the future of...

Tanzania opposition leader Tundu Lissu faces full treason trial after court dismisses objections
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Sep 22, 2025

Last week, Lissu sought to have the charge dismissed, arguing that the charge sheet was flawed because it neither clearly specified the particulars of...

Kenya's passport falls to 70th position in 2025 global ranking
Lucy Mumbi  |  Sep 14, 2025

The latest ranking places Kenya alongside The Gambia, though it remains the strongest passport in East Africa, ahead of Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.

Court grants bail to SSU officers linked to kidnapping and killing of two foreigners, Kenyan driver
Carolyne Kubwa  |  Sep 08, 2025

The disappearance of Zaid, Zulfiqar, and their driver sparked national and international outrage, heightening pressure on the government over rising c...

Tundu Lissu on death of Ngugi wa Thiong'o: A prisoner's eulogy from Ukonga prison in Dar es Salaam
Tundu Lissu  |  Aug 24, 2025

He started his long literary career as James Ngugi, but soon dropped the ‘James’, becoming the Ngugi wa Thiong’o known to the world, and in keeping wi...

How Tanzania’s ex-envoy is turning into President Samia’s firebrand critic
Mwangi Maina  |  Aug 22, 2025

Polepole, who relinquished his Havana posting that also covered Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Central America, says he has gone into hiding, citing...

Stay ahead of the news! Click ‘Yes, Thanks’ to receive breaking stories and exclusive updates directly to your device. Be the first to know what’s happening.