Tanzania opposition politician’s assassination casts shadow over upcoming elections – Medafrica Times

Tanzania is grappling with a wave of repression that harks back to a dark period in the country’s history, with scores of government critics having disappeared in recent months.
On September 8, Ali Mohamed Kibao, a member of the national secretariat of the opposition Chadema party, was found dead after being kidnapped by gunmen. The incident, along with the disappearance of Chadem leader Dionys Kipanya in July 2024 and three other party leaders in Dar-es-Salaam, raises fears of a return to the oppressive tactics used by former President John Magufuli.
Current President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered an investigation into Kibao’s death, but opposition leaders remain skeptical, calling for an independent investigation. According to the Tanganyika Law Society, at least 83 people have disappeared in the past seven months as a result of the crackdown.
The intensification of repression came ahead of Tanzania’s presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2025 – the first since Magufuli’s death.