Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has seen a dramatic turn of events in its internal primaries, with more than 40 sitting Members of Parliament and at least seven Deputy Ministers voted out by party delegates across the country.
The primaries, which took place on Monday, August 4, allowed delegates at the ward and constituency levels to vote in opinion polls aimed at selecting CCM candidates for parliamentary, representative, and local council positions ahead of the upcoming general election.
The results have sent shockwaves through the political establishment, unseating both veteran lawmakers and relatively new faces. Several Deputy Ministers — some of whom have held their positions for only a few years — found themselves out of favour with the grassroots.
Among the first to fall was Alexander Mnyeti, MP for Misungwi in Mwanza Region and Deputy Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, who lost by a wide margin to Salvatory Luboja Sylvester. Sylvester garnered 9,680 votes compared to Mnyeti’s 3,249.
In Kavuu constituency, Katavi Region, Deputy Minister for Lands Geophrey Pinda, also faced defeat. Laurent Luswetula emerged victorious with 1,564 votes. Pinda finished third with just 1,032 votes, behind Pudensia Kikwembe who came second with 1,065 votes.
Jumanne Sagini, MP for Butiama in Mara Region and Deputy Minister for Constitution and Legal Affairs, lost to Wilson Mahera, who secured 4,295 votes against Sagini’s 2,341. Mahera is a former Director of Elections at the National Electoral Commission and has served as Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
In Iringa Region, Cosato Chumi, MP for Mafinga Urban and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, was defeated by Dickison Lutevele, who won 1,219 votes, leaving Chumi with only 376. Similarly, Exaud Kigahe, MP for Mufindi North and Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade, lost to Luqman Merhab, who secured 3,795 votes compared to Kigahe’s 488.
The political purge extended to other deputy ministers, including Stanslaus Nyongo of Maswa East in Simiyu Region and Deputy Minister in the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, as well as Dastan Kitandula of Mkinga in Tanga Region, who served as Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism.
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Among the more surprising outcomes was the loss of long-serving MPs. Dr. Hamisi Kigwangalla, who represented Nzega Rural in Tabora Region since 2010 and once served as both Deputy Minister and Minister during the fifth phase government, was defeated by Neto Kapalata, who received 2,570 votes to Kigwangalla’s 1,715.
In Namtumbo, Ruvuma Region, Vita Kawawa son of Tanzania’s first Prime Minister Rashid Mfaume Kawawa was soundly beaten by Juma Zeberi Homera, former Mbeya Regional Commissioner. Homera secured 11,836 votes, while Kawawa managed only 852, ending a 20-year parliamentary tenure that began in 2005.
In Iringa Urban, Jesca Msambatavangu, who joined Parliament in 2020, fell to fourth place in the primaries. Fadhili Ngajilo emerged victorious with 1,899 votes, followed by Advocate Moses with 1,523, and Pastor Peter Msigwa with 477. Msambatavangu received only 408 votes.
Makambako MP Deo “Jah People” Sanga, who held the seat for 15 years, was defeated by Daniel Chongolo, former CCM Secretary General and former Songwe Regional Commissioner. Chongolo led with 6,151 votes to Sanga’s 470.
In Kilimanjaro Region, Dr. Charles Kimei, MP for Vunjo since 2020 and a former banking executive, lost to Enock Zadock Koola, who garnered 1,999 votes to Kimei’s 861. Meanwhile, Charles Mwijage, MP for Muleba North in Kagera Region and a former minister, also failed to retain party support, losing to Adonis Bitegeko after 15 years in office.
Other MPs who failed to pass the primaries include Constantine Kanyasu (Geita Urban), Emmanuel Adamson Mwakasaka (Tabora Urban), Jumanne Kishimba (Tabora Urban), Hamida Abdallah (Lindi Urban), Prof. Patrick Ndakidemi (Moshi Rural), Issa Jumanne Mtemvu (Kibamba), and Stella Manyanya (Nyasa).
Additional casualties in the primaries are Dr. Medard Kalemani (Chato North), Bonophase Butondo (Kishapu), Antipasto Mgungusi (Malinyi), Nicholas Ngasa (Igunga Urban), Hassan Mtenga (Mtwara Urban), Innocent Bilakwate (Kyerwa), and Tumaini Magesa, the outgoing MP for Busanda who was vying for the newly created Katoro seat.
Despite the dramatic nature of the results, these outcomes remain provisional. Final decisions on who will represent CCM in the 2025 general elections rest with the party’s national decision-making bodies. The Central Committee of the National Executive Council (NEC) is scheduled to meet on August 20 to review the recommendations from regional committees, before the full NEC makes the final nominations on August 22.
Today, August 6, constituency-level political committees are reviewing the results and forwarding their recommendations to district-level committees. These will then be evaluated at the regional level, and ultimately submitted to national party organs for final consideration.
The scale of the shake-up suggests that CCM is preparing for a competitive electoral season, one in which grassroots support appears to be playing an increasingly decisive role in shaping the party’s political future.
This story was contributed by The Chanzo journalist Ibrahim Mgaza and Victoria Kavishe
