Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on July 29, 2025.
Police Arrest 11 CHADEMA Members at the Home of Nkasi Kaskazini MP for Unlawful Assembly; Call for MP and Husband to Report to the Police
Rukwa Police have arrested at least eleven members of Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, for allegedly holding an unlawful assembly in Nkasi on Sunday, July 27, 2025. This was reported by the Rukwa Regional Police Commander, Shadrack Masija, on Monday, whereas among those arrested, 7 were men and 4 were women.
While the police did not disclose where the eleven members were arrested, Nkasi Kaskazini MP Aida Khenani told The Chanzo that they were arrested at her home on July 27, 2025. Khenani explained that she was called by the Nkasi Officer Commanding District (OCD) on July 26, 2025, and told that she had made a mistake by holding a rally the previous Saturday, as CHADEMA activities had been suspended by the court.
Khenani said that he told the police that the court ruling had only ordered the Board of Trustees and the party secretary to stop all activities and not her, a member of parliament.
“He [OCD] told me I should not hold a meeting planned on Sunday. I asked him based on what law, and he said we should wait for a court order. I explained to him my role as an MP ceases on August 3, 2025, so I asked him for a letter that explains that he is stopping my meetings and other functions as an MP,” she said.
Read the full article here.
CCM’s Big Reveal of Nominees for Party Primaries Set for Today, July 29, 2025
Tanzania’s ruling party, CCM, members have had to keep their excitement in check after a full day of waiting for the announcement of the candidates who will proceed to the party primaries. The party was initially expected to release the list of names at 5:00 p.m. on July 28, 2025, after the Central Committee meeting, which started at around 2 am.
However, after several hours of anticipation, the announcement was rescheduled to 9:30 p.m.—but it still did not happen. At around 11:00 p.m., members of the Central Committee, led by President Samia, were seen leaving the venue where the selection process was taking place, fueling further speculation. The big reveal was pushed to midnight.
Journalists continued waiting through the night for the much-anticipated announcement, but at 5:00 a.m. this morning, the event was once again postponed—this time to 10:00 a.m. today, July 29, 2025.
This year’s selection has been different, especially following the postponement of the nomination meeting date, and then a special congress to amend the constitution. Many analysts have pointed out that the efforts undertaken are mostly to ensure maximum support of the Chairperson, amid various contesting factions, as well as openly aired discontent by some members who have come out to oppose her nomination.
Foreign Currency Deposits Maintain USD 5 Billion Mark as BOT Shows Optimism Over Easing Dollarization
Foreign currency deposits in Tanzania maintained their upward trajectory by the end of June 2025, reaching USD 5.287 billion, up from USD 5.04 billion recorded in May 2025. The USD 5 billion mark was first reached in March 2025, reflecting a continued appetite for holding foreign currency amid shilling depreciation and a seasonal challenge of dollar shortages.
The increase comes as the latest monetary policy statement from the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) expressed optimism about a gradual easing of the economy’s dollarization.
“The ratio of foreign currency deposits to total deposits, a key indicator of financial dollarization, decreased marginally to 30 percent in May 2025 from 30.7 percent in March 2025, while the share of foreign currency deposits in broad money (M3) remained stable at 25.4 percent,” the Bank’s statement reads.
The Bank attributed the decline in dollarization partly to improved foreign exchange liquidity and ongoing public awareness campaigns regarding Section 26 of the Bank of Tanzania Act, which prohibits the use of foreign currency in domestic transactions.
The BoT has intensified its awareness efforts through media campaigns on the regulation limiting foreign currency use. However, following concerns raised by the tourism sector, the Bank allowed non-residents to continue using foreign currencies for tourism-related transactions.
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