Two senior officials of Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, were arrested on July 12, 2025, as they were leaving the country on official party business.
CHADEMA spokesperson Brenda Rupia was arrested at the Namanga border while en route to Nairobi. Leonard Joseph Magere, the party’s Resource Mobilization and Investment Specialist, was also arrested at Julius Nyerere International Airport. Magere was reportedly traveling to the United Kingdom for a training session scheduled between July 13 and 17, 2025.
Magere’s whereabouts remained unknown for nearly 12 hours until the police released a statement confirming that he was being held on unspecified criminal charges.
Meanwhile, CHADEMA reported that police had searched Rupia’s home. She was later questioned in connection with a party statement issued on July 2, 2025, which alleged a plot to poison party leader Tundu Lissu while in prison.
“Despite the fact that the alleged offenses are bailable under the law, the police have continued to detain her and have denied her bail, claiming they are still consulting with senior leadership,” the party said in its statement regarding Rupia’s arrest.
The incident adds to a growing list of CHADEMA officials who have been blocked from leaving the country for both official and personal reasons.
Amani Golugwa, the party’s Deputy Secretary General, was arrested at Julius Nyerere International Airport on May 13, 2025, while preparing to travel to Brussels via Turkish Airlines to attend the International Democrat Union (IDU) Forum. Police later said they were interrogating him but did not specify any charges.
Similarly, Godbless Lema was stopped at the Namanga border on June 6, 2025, while traveling to Nairobi for personal reasons. In a statement, the Immigration Department confirmed that Lema had been stopped and that his passport had been confiscated, stating he was required to report to headquarters for further questioning.
The recurring incidents have sparked debate on social media about the constitutionality of restricting the movement of CHADEMA officials.
“We will put an end to this impunity,” said CHADEMA Vice Chairperson Heche in X post. “You’re saying that leaders with known addresses—who are around every day—have criminal allegations against them, yet you’ve never arrested or summoned them. But the moment they attempt to travel, immigration suddenly remembers these alleged offenses.”
