President Samia: I have never killed anyone

Songea. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has vehemently denied allegations of her involvement in any killings, describing the claims as baseless and made by people with no substantive arguments, instead resorting to offensive accusations.

“I’ve never killed anyone. I may have stepped on an ant, but not on a human,” she said while speaking at the CCM Women’s Wing (UWT) General Meeting on September 28, 2024, in Songea, Ruvuma.

The president appealed to UWT members to defend it against defamatory remarks, stressing that the voice of one leader alone is not enough to counter such allegations. “My request to you, UWT, is unchangeable. You know the truth.

The voice of one leader alone is not enough to answer these allegations, and I may have been engaged in other responsibilities when these claims were made. Stand up and answer – what are you afraid of?” – she said.

She appealed to UWT to speak on her behalf, warning not to be intimidated. “If they tell you that your leader and president is a murderer, answer: ‘Yes, she killed the negative forces of the opposition, eliminated the paths to poverty in this country and stimulated the economy.’

If they say that your President and Chairwoman is a murderer, reply: “Yes, she killed the darkness that overshadowed Tanzania and made the nation shine on the international stage.” This is what your president eliminated,” she added.

Her comments come in response to growing concern about kidnappings across the country, including the recent kidnapping and murder of Mohamed Ally Kibao, former leader of the opposition Chadema party.

Kibao was abducted on the night of September 6, 2024, while traveling on a Tashrif bus from Dar es Salaam to Tanga. Eyewitnesses say that unidentified people forcibly took him out of the bus, handcuffed him and took him away.

Kibao’s body was found on September 8, 2024 in the Ununio Tegeta area and later identified at the Mwananyamala Regional Referral Hospital.

His murder sparked calls from opposition leaders and activists for immediate government action, with some demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Hamad Masauni.

Foreign diplomats, including representatives of the European Union, the British and Canadian High Commissions and the Norwegian and Swiss embassies, issued a joint statement condemning the abduction and murder of Mohamed Ally Kibao and calling for a thorough investigation.

In response, President Samia urged foreign diplomats to respect the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), reminding them that Tanzania was governed by its own constitution and not by external directives.

In a speech on September 17, 2024, during the 60th anniversary of the Tanzania Police Force, she addressed recent criticism from diplomats representing the US, EU, UK and Canada.

“It is surprising that this death has sparked condemnation, with some even labeling our government as killers. This is not right… we must condemn all such incidents,” she said.

The president expressed surprise at the international attention given to Kibao’s death, noting that other tragic deaths in Tanzania, such as those involving children and albinos, often go unnoticed by the same diplomatic community.

She suggested that diplomats could act on their own behalf rather than on behalf of their governments. She added that if necessary, she would address this matter directly to the heads of state of the countries concerned.

“We are not here to instruct us what to do in our own country. We are guided by the constitution, laws, customs and traditions,” she said, stressing that Tanzania has never instructed its ambassadors to issue public statements on incidents in other countries.

The situation escalated when the opposition party Chadema called for a protest on September 23, 2024 in Dar es Salaam. The demonstration was foiled by the police, who arrested Chadema’s leaders in various places that day.