The Publicity Secretary of the women’s wing of Tanzania’s opposition party, CHADEMA, Aisha Machano, spoke to the press on October 20, 2024, following her abduction the day before.
Machano stated she was in the Kibiti district for party mobilization ahead of the upcoming local government elections and the conclusion of voter registration on October 20, 2024. Before her abduction, she was heading to Mkenda village in Mwambao.
“A white Land Cruiser approached quickly as I crossed the road to wait for the motorbike tax (Bodaboda). I couldn’t memorize the license plate well, but it was ‘PT,’ meaning it was a police vehicle,” Machano recounted.
She continued, “The vehicle stopped, and six men quickly got out. One of them came over, touched my shoulder, and told me, ‘You are under arrest; we are the police.’ I asked for his ID, but he got aggressive instead of showing it.”
Machano mentioned that there was a woman in the vehicle whom she recognized from the bus stand; the woman had also gotten off at the same drop-off point as her. The woman handcuffed her, and one of the men blindfolded her with a piece of cloth.
She explained that the journey was long, with several stops, including one where her abductors bought food. Throughout the journey, she was asked no questions, except once when one of the abductors asked if she had ever done anything wrong, to which she replied no.
They finally reached a forested area, where they told her to get out of the vehicle and began questioning her about an event that involved burning clothes with the President’s image.
“They were asking me, ‘Who sent you to burn the fabrics?’ I told them no one sent me. I am a national leader of BAWACHA [Women’s Wing], so we, the BAWACHA national leadership and our regional leaders, organized the event and carried out the burning,” Machano said.
The clothes in question were Kitenge fabrics that President Samia had gifted to CHADEMA women when she was invited as a special guest at the CHADEMA’s Women’s Day event in March 2023. On September 30, 2024, CHADEMA’s Women’s Wing held a press conference protesting the abduction and killing of its leaders, during which the women burned the gifted fabrics, most of which had the President’s image.
Machano further explained what she told her abductors: “We burned those fabrics because there were issues we had asked President Samia to address, but she has not yet done so, such as the case of our five youths who went missing.”
Machano, who appeared at the press conference limping and later shared part of a report detailing how she was beaten, said that her captors continued to question her while beating her. Her captors wanted her to also identify other CHADEMA leaders who were present on the day of the press then they stripped her naked and recorded her.
“As the questioning and beatings continued, they told me to take off my clothes. One of them came and unlocked the handcuffs. After unlocking them, I was wearing a headscarf, so they first removed the blindfold. It was dark, so I couldn’t see them, but they had phones and were recording as they questioned me,” Machano recounted.
“They undressed me and took pictures, telling me that if I ever held a press conference to show the scars, they would find me and ‘finish me off.’ They also threatened to publish my naked images online,” Machano added.
“But I have called you here because I am ready to face them,” she told the press. “No one has the ultimate right to life; we will all die eventually.”
Machano is not the first person to highlight that her abductors recorded their actions. A similar case was reported by Edgar Mwakabela, who survived an assassination attempt after his abduction. Mwakabela also said that his abductors recorded his interrogation and torture.
Machano was taken to Mwananyamala Hospital. She explained that after the beating, her captors dropped her off on the side of the road along with her belongings. She followed the direction the car had taken and was able to receive assistance from a good Samaritan, although she lost consciousness shortly afterward.
Despite the ordeal, Machano encouraged women to register and vie for positions in the local government elections.
“They should not be discouraged by what happened to me. They have threatened that I will die if I speak to the press, but I say even if they arrest or kill me tomorrow, I ask those who remain to not give up. Let’s go and build momentum,” she urged.
On the other hand, the police have informed the public that they have begun investigating Machano’s abduction.
“We urge the public to remain calm. The investigation will uncover what happened, the reasons behind it, and who is responsible. Action will be taken based on the evidence gathered, in accordance with the law,” said Police spokesperson David Misime in a statement.
