On Good Friday, March 29, 2024, Simanjiro Member of Parliament Christopher Ole Sendeka narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.

Gunmen, who had been tailing his car, opened fire at close range. Despite the danger, Ole Sendeka and his driver emerged unharmed. He returned fire, causing the attackers to retreat momentarily, allowing him to flee to safety.

“The incident happened around 7 pm at the Nabolo and Ngilo villages in Kiteto. There was a double cabin car that was following us, we allowed it to pass ahead of us,” said Ole Sendeka in an interview with Ayo Tv.

“When they were parallel to our car, they fired at the driver then moved ahead and continued firing at us from the front side. I fired back as we were turning around, and that’s how we successfully turned back,” he added.

Olesendeka believes that the assailants had small and big firearms and explained that only his car was damaged during the incident.

Olesendeka’s attempted assassination comes about five years following the attempted assassination of another member of parliament, Tundu Lissu on September 07, 2017, an incident that left him with a permanent disability.

It’s yet to be known if Tundu Lissu’s case was ever investigated or if there is any investigation ongoing in an incident that has left many Tanzanians with more questions than answers and a lingering suspicion.

READ MORE: Makonda Unhappy With Accusations He Participated in Assassination Attempts Against Lissu

In a statement released today, Police said they have sent a team of ballistic experts to investigate the case.

“Immediately after receiving the report of the incident, Police started an investigation. A team of ballistic experts from the head office Dodoma was sent to investigate the incident together with the Manyara Police,” reads part of the statement.

Ole Sendeka who is one of the ruling party (CCM) career politicians, is known as a fierce defender of the Maasai.

He has been vocal in some of the Maasai’s recent struggles with the government in Manyara, Ngorongoro, and Loliondo on turning some of the lands into game reserves, seizing livestock, or removal of the Maasai from their ancestral land.