The retired Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete responded on Thursday, July 31, 2025, to the ongoing debate regarding the nomination of relatives of former leaders as ruling party candidates for various positions in the upcoming general election.
Kikwete’s wife, Salma Kikwete, and his son, Ridhiwani Kikwete, both passed unopposed in their constituencies Mchinga and Chalinze, respectively, meaning they will go straight to the ballot in the upcoming election. Their automatic nominations sparked debate on social media, with even some party cadres weighing in. Kikwete defended his son, Ridhiwani, arguing there was nothing unusual about the situation.
“I noted that when people noticed Ridhiwani passed through unopposed [in the party], they said, ‘Ah, you know there is no democracy.’ Even in the previous election, he did not have an opponent within CCM. Before that, in another election, he also had no opponent,” Kikwete said during the launch of the Kwala dry port, where President Samia Suluhu Hassan was the guest of honor.
He continued: “So why are you surprised this time? In the Pwani region, Bagamoyo District leads in CCM votes, so don’t be surprised by what is happening; this is a CCM stronghold. We do not have a councilor from another party, we do not have a chairperson of the council, nor a hamlet chairperson from another party, and it is not due to trickery but because our party is accepted.”
It was not only Kikwete’s family members who sparked online discussions. Several candidates related to the late President Ali Hassan Mwinyi, whose son currently serves as the president of Zanzibar, also sailed through the nomination process and the primaries. These include Abdulla Ali Mwinyi (Mahonda MP), Abbas Ali Mwinyi (Fuoni MP), and Asma Ali Mwinyi. President Samia’s daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, currently a Special Seats MP, is also among three candidates seeking the Mkaunduchi seat after the incumbent was dropped.
Other names linked to former prime ministers, including Mizengo Pinda and Edward Lowassa, have also drawn attention, fueling debate about family ties and political succession within the ruling party.
Among those who weighed in on the matter was former ambassador to Cuba, Humphrey Polepole, who resigned earlier in July in protest against the party’s internal politics. Speaking on Facebook on Thursday, July 31, 2025, Polepole criticized the nomination process.
“What is happening in the party elections clearly shows how weak the party has become in upholding core principles such as discipline, ethics, and the fight against corruption. Yes, it is every individual’s right to contest, but in a party where leadership opportunities are already so limited, we see the parliamentary nomination process being dominated by members of leadership families,” Polepole said in his live address, which caused Facebook and YouTube to become restricted for several hours, as had happened during his first live broadcast.
“This one is said to be a relative of the President, that one another relative, one is linked to the President of Zanzibar, another to the Union President, this one is a minister’s wife, that one a former President’s child. This country is not a monarchy. We must have some shame; there are so many other capable people out there,” he emphasized.
