Dar es Salaam. Former Kisesa MP (Chama cha Mapinduzi – CCM) Luhaga Mpina made a surprising political shift on Tuesday, defecting to the opposition ACT-Wazalendo just days after being excluded from CCM’s list of parliamentary candidates for the upcoming elections.
ACT-Wazalendo officially welcomed Mpina, a longtime critic of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, during a central committee meeting at its Magomeni headquarters in Dar es Salaam.
Mpina, who has represented Kisesa constituency since 2005, was formally welcomed by ACT-Wazalendo just ahead of the party’s extraordinary congress on Wednesday—a move that signals a major political shift before the elections.
Photos circulating on social media Tuesday showed the former Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, who served in the late John Magufuli’s administration, meeting with ACT-Wazalendo leadership, including national chair Othman Masoud Othman and party leader Dorothy Semu.
READ MORE: President Samia Lashes Out at Luhaga Mpina in Simiyu: Here is What It Means for Lake Zone Politics
On July 29, 2025, CCM unveiled seven candidates for its parliamentary primaries in Simiyu region’s Kisesa constituency – a list notably excluding Mr Mpina, who had been widely expected to be included.
At the time, when contacted by The Chanzo for comment on his exclusion from the list, Mpina declined to respond, stating the results were still being announced at the time.
The decision to exclude Mpina, however, came less than a month after his public clash with President Samia, which had prompted the Head of State who doubles as CCM’s national chair to question his fitness to represent his constituents in Parliament.
This came after Mpina’s remarks at a Kisesa rally on June 17, 2025, where he criticised President Samia for unfinished work in the constituency. He highlighted several alleged government failures, including poor road conditions and strained relations between authorities and local pastoralists.
“I was shocked to hear him say Kisesa is like a woman with unkempt hair – this means he’s disparaging his own constituency,” President Samia said in a tone that displayed irritation. “My friends, I think you should be more serious in bringing us MPs who can actually deliver services to your areas.”
Mpina’s exclusion from the candidate list sparked protests among his constituents, who viewed the move as retaliation for his criticism of the administration.
Protesters condemned the approved candidate list and demanded CCM leadership reinstate Mpina, framing their appeal as a defense of democratic principles. They argued voters should retain the unfettered right to choose their preferred representative.
ACT-Wazalendo, committed to participate in the October 28, 2025 general elections even without the reforms demanded by opposition groups, has yet to publicly explain its decision to admit Mpina.
However, Tuesday’s move aligns with ACT-Wazalendo’s strategy of recruiting prominent Tanzanian political figures to boost its electoral prospects and broaden its public appeal.
Recent recruits include prominent Muslim cleric and political activist Sheikh Ponda Issa Ponda, human rights lawyer Peter Madeleka, and former CHADEMA regional chairperson Emmanuel Ntobi, among others.
