Dar es Salaam. The death of Job Ndugai has sparked a contentious debate over the legacy of Tanzania’s seventh National Assembly Speaker, whose sudden passing on Wednesday left the nation divided in its reactions and perceptions.
Speaker of Parliament Tulia Ackson announced the sudden death of 65-year-old Ndugai on Wednesday afternoon—just two days after the politician won the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) parliamentary primaries for Kongwa constituency.
As condolences poured in—including from President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who said she received the news with “deep sorrow”—others revisited Ndugai’s tenure as head of the legislative body, critically assessing his performance as Speaker and questioning what legacy, if any, he would leave behind.
One pivotal moment that many have revisited in assessing Mr Ndugai’s legacy was the unprecedented 2017 assassination attempt on Tundu Lissu, then serving as Singida East MP for CHADEMA, a dark episode in Tanzania’s political history.
As Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ndugai promptly addressed the nation about the incident, a brazen daylight attack near parliamentary grounds whose perpetrators remain at large to this day.
READ MORE: Tanzania’s Ex-Speaker Job Ndugai Dies at 65
“I want to assure the public, especially Honorable Lissu’s constituents and family, that he is receiving excellent care,” Mr Ndugai told journalists in 2017. “Parliament will spare no effort to support our colleague’s full recovery and eventual return to duty.”
Yet, this was the same Ndugai who later revoked Lissu’s parliamentary seat, citing the opposition politician’s failure to formally update the legislature about his whereabouts and medical treatment for two consecutive years.
“Honorable Tundu Antiphas Lissu is not in his constituency,” Speaker Ndugai opened his statement. “He is not present in this House. He is not hospitalised in Tanzania. This Office has received no communication regarding his whereabouts or health status – we cannot confirm whether he is unwell or even alive.”
“I have formally notified the Chairperson of the National Electoral Commission that the Singida East parliamentary seat, formerly occupied by Honorable Tundu Antiphas Mughwai Lissu, is now vacant,” Ndugai declared in Parliament.
Criticism
This episode in Mr Ndugai’s tenure as Speaker of Parliament – one of several that drew criticism – prompted Godbless Lema, then serving as Arusha Urban MP for CHADEMA, to offer a pointed assessment of the late Speaker’s legacy.
READ MORE: Getting the Debate Right on the Ndugai Saga
Echoing sentiments widely shared across Tanzanian social media, Lema warned against whitewashing Ndugai’s legacy, arguing his autocratic leadership had eroded parliamentary independence and democratic norms.
“Job Ndugai was no champion of justice,” Lema wrote on X. “He transformed Parliament into an instrument of oppression, silencing the voices of the people’s representatives and debasing the very concept of free thought and democracy. May he be remembered as he lived – and if he truly repented, then may he find mercy before the Almighty.”
Lema cautioned that to speak the truth about failed leadership is not to pass spiritual judgment—it is to fulfill the duty of a generation that suffered, and to protect the next generation. He added: “This is not about his soul’s fate in heaven; it is about the wounds he left upon this earth.”
A varying perspective
Yet perspectives vary, including that of former Cabinet Minister Anna Tibaijuka, who served as Muleba South MP (CCM) during Ndugai’s speakership. She remembered the late Speaker fondly, honouring what she called his “good deeds.”
While Tibaijuka disagrees with Ndugai’s treatment of Lissu—acknowledging how his parliamentary expulsion troubled her—she argues the current criticism misses its mark.
READ MORE: Ndugai Steps-down as Speaker of Parliament After Borrowing Spat With Samia
The former minister contends observers conflate institutional systems with individual leadership, creating what she sees as an unfair assessment of the late Speaker.
In tribute to her fellow CCM stalwart, she revealed a previously untold story – one she hoped might absolve Ndugai of at least some of the criticism he faced.
“That evening, I went to Speaker Ndugai’s home in Kisasa [Dodoma] to confront him: ‘Explain this decision! Our colleague’s fate is known to us all. How could you claim ignorance of his whereabouts?’” Tibaijuka recounted on X.
“Ndugai told me: Mama, these were directives. As Speaker, all I did was try to save his life by arranging his emergency transfer to Nairobi for treatment. Others wanted him taken to Muhimbili. We had no budget. CHADEMA lacked funds for the flight. I asked [the late] CCM MP Hon. [Toufiq] Turky to cover the costs, promising we’d reimburse him.
“He continued: ‘Lissu is a politician. If he recovers, he’ll return to the political arena as God wills. For now, I’m focused on surviving these treacherous political waters while upholding my constitutional duties.’”
Prof Tibaijuka says that she had nothing more to say, adding: “I realised ours is a long national journey. Society refuses to examine the systemic roots of our problems. We default to blaming leaders (personalities) as if they operate with absolute freedom to execute their duties.
“For instance, you’ll find an MP criticised for failing to build schools, hospitals, or roads—yet aren’t these the responsibilities of central government and tax-collecting local authorities? Let us not condemn Ndugai for systemic failures. Where he erred, may God forgive him—but remember, he accomplished much good.”
