Former Prime Minister and retired Judge, Joseph Sinde Warioba has raised concerns about the involvement of Tanzania’s security organs in politics. Speaking to the press today, December 4, 2024, at the Peacock Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Warioba emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the country’s military and criticized the politicization of the police.
“We mustn’t involve the People’s Defense Forces in political matters. Since its establishment, our military has done an excellent job,” said Warioba. He expressed concern over the heightened alert status of security organs during the recently concluded local government elections.
“I can confidently say that if there is an institution that operates with integrity, patriotism, and discipline in our country, it is the Defense Forces,” Warioba added. “They are the only remaining institution that does not follow the notion of ‘eating as far as your rope reaches.’ They operate with honesty, integrity, patriotism, and discipline.”
Warioba also reminded the Tanzanian public of the military’s role in protecting the country’s borders during Africa’s liberation struggles, when Tanzania hosted, trained, and fought alongside liberation movements.
“Let us not involve them in political issues, as it may lead the public to perceive them as favoring one side. I strongly urge that the People’s Defense Forces not be drawn into politics. That is not their role; their duty is to safeguard the security of the nation,” Warioba emphasized.
Politicization of security organs
Warioba singled out the Tanzania Police Force as one of the most politicized institutions, warning of the dangers this could pose to national unity.
“The police are a very important institution, as they protect citizens and their property, and they are supposed to work with all citizens. In recent years, we have involved the Police Force in politics, and they have been making political statements,” he said.
He cautioned: “This will cause division, with some citizens starting to see the Police Force as an enemy. Let us not reach that point. We should let the Police Force carry out its regular duties.”
Warioba’s plea comes just days after former ACT Wazalendo leader, Zitto Kabwe made similar remarks on November 29, 2024, about the involvement of the country’s security organs in politics.
READ: Police Brutality in Tanzania: A Rogue Police Force Or A Few Bad Apples?
“If there is a mistake that Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) is making, it is allowing security and defense institutions to get involved in politics. Once these institutions taste political power, as they are doing now, the next target will be CCM itself. They will turn against CCM and remove it from power,” Kabwe said during a speech at Kawawa Stadium in Kogoma.
“It is a grave mistake to shift a country from democracy to securocracy. Securocracy is when a country is governed by security apparatuses, while democracy is when a country is governed by its people through their political parties,” Kabwe added.
“People should not grow tired of CCM and also of the security apparatus. Right now, two security institutions have already been politicized: the Police Force and the Intelligence Service, completely politicized. The only one remaining unpoliticized is the Defense Forces, and the day you see the military becoming politicized, the country will no longer be safe,” he warned.
Is the party losing its influence over the state?
In his analysis, Judge Warioba separated the ruling party from the politicization of security organs, asserting that it is not the party itself pushing for the excessive involvement of these institutions in politics but rather the government. He also pointed to recent efforts by CCM Secretary Emmanuel Nchimbi to reverse the disqualification of a candidate as an example of the party attempting to maintain fairness—an effort that seemed to go unheeded.
A similar instance occurred following the killing of opposition politician Ali Kibao, where party Secretary Emmanuel Nchimbi publicly condemned the attack and even aligned with opposition politicians in demanding accountability. Although his speech was perceived by many observers as sincere, its impact was short-lived.
On September 1, 2024, former Longido District Commissioner Marko Henry Ng’umbi was dismissed from his role following a viral video in which he boasted to CCM councilors that they could not attain their elected positions without the government. Many analysts have pointed out this as an incredible admission, where a non-elected official claimed to single-handedly place elected officials in power, highlighting a shifting dynamic of influence between CCM and state organs.
The views of Judge Warioba and Zitto Kabwe on state security organs’ perception align with findings from government surveys. For instance, the 2022 Integrity Survey on Public Service identified police crime reporting and traffic services as the most corrupt areas of public service. Similarly, the National Governance and Corruption Survey (2020), which involved 3,163 respondents, revealed that 45.6% of Tanzanians perceive the police as the most corrupt institution, followed by the health sector at 17.9%.
In contrast, 60.9% of respondents in the same survey regarded the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) as having officials with high integrity. Meanwhile, a significant portion of the public perceives the police as dishonest (39.5%), followed by primary courts (19.9%).
