Speaking during the special Good Friday Mass at Ifakara Town Parish in Morogoro on April 18, 2025, Bishop Jacob Mameo Paulo of the Morogoro Diocese urged Tanzanian authorities to respond to the public’s demand for electoral reforms, describing it as a “national cry.”

“Complaints to call for the Independent Electoral Commission are now a cry across our nation, not just for this election but also in past elections, that the elections were neither free nor fair. We plead with those in power to take a look at this, because leading through actions that are being complained about does not unite us, but rather divides us. When a nation is divided, its strength is divided, too,” said Bishop Mameo in his mass, which was also aired by the National Broadcaster.

Mameo, who is one of the prominent bishops of the second largest church in Tanzania, with over 8 million members, the Lutheran Church, was speaking in a joint Good Friday mass of the Christian Council of Tanzania, an umbrella organization bringing together 14 protestant denominations in the country.

“Many Tanzanians are complaining about the Independent Electoral Commission, saying that it is not truly independent, and they base this on past events. It is the government’s responsibility to revisit and address the complaints of its people,” added Bishop Mameo.

In his address, Mameo urged the country to watch not to fall backward, using historical experience, arguing the country was a teacher of governance in the region, but there is a real risk it could turn into a student, but there is also a risk falling prey to ‘external enemies’ by continuing to ignore calls for reform or using force to suppress views.

“Our colleagues in CHADEMA say ‘no reform, no election,’ and even some members within CCM say ‘no reform, no election,’ but they are hiding and don’t want to be seen. And sometimes the issues being complained about originate within the ruling party and then spread to the opposition parties. So we also need to reflect and ask ourselves: those of us within the ruling party who are raising complaints, where are we headed, and what do we want?” Mameo argued.

He continued: “Arresting people and detaining them does not silence the people’s grievances, it only deepens the divisions and drives people further apart.”

Mameo has also called for the country to resolve the issue of abduction and encourage the government to tolerate criticism, saying the only thing to do is to amend ways when there are critics.

“Even those said to be the abductors, the so-called unknown people, it’s only us who don’t know them, but God knows them. Those who abduct, beat, torture, and hurt others, God knows them. You and I may not know them, but they know themselves and their God, and they will have to account for abducting and hurting people,” Mameo emphasized in a speech that has gone viral on social media.

He added: “Many families have lost their loved ones and don’t know where they are; that is a sin. Therefore, we ask that our nation return to the principles of justice and listen to the cries of those whose loved ones are said to be missing but are never found. The nation should reconsider this matter. If we continue to live by hunting each other down like wild animals, it’s a serious problem.”

Mameo’s call comes just a day after the government, through the Minister of State in the President’s Office for Public Service Management and Good Governance, George Simbachawene, told the press that calls for electoral reforms, such as those advocated by CHADEMA’s “No Reform, No Election” campaign, are impractical at this time due to cost and time constraints.

“There are some who say they will not participate in the election. Now, it is not my job to urge them to participate in the election, because it is their constitutional right,” Simbachawene told the press on April 17, 2025, where he emphasized that the government has made electoral reforms, including establishing the independent electoral commission.

“But the key issue and what matters here is: are their ideas feasible at this time? And if they are feasible, what is the cost in terms of time? But also, what is the cost in terms of ensuring citizens’ involvement to grant their right to participate? Because any matter that touches the Constitution cannot be the agenda of just a small group of people,” Simbachawene continued.

Tanzania’s leading opposition party, CHADEMA, has called for reform of the electoral system, emphasizing it will not go to the polls in the current situation. The Chairperson of the party, Tundu Lissu, who is charged with treason and has remained remanded since April 09, 2025, has called Tanzania’s election a ‘slaughterhouse’ due to a myriad of issues, including violence against CHADEMA members, where in the 2024 civic election, two local government election candidates were killed from their homes.