Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend.

Six Collect Nomination Forms for Tanzania’s 2025 Presidential Election; Eight More Expected

Presidential aspirants from six political parties have already collected nomination forms from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ready for the race to the country’s top leadership position in the General Election on October 29, 2025.

These include Samia Suluhu Hassan from the ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), who was accompanied by her running mate, Emmanuel Nchimbi, to the INEC offices in Dodoma on Saturday to collect the presidential nomination form.

This will mark President Samia’s first time contesting for the presidency as a principal candidate. She assumed office on March 19, 2021, following the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli. While she participated in previous elections (2015 and 2020), she did so as Magufuli’s running mate.

Speaking after collecting the nomination forms, Nchimbi stated he is fully prepared to participate in the subsequent election phases as a running mate.

“I am fully prepared, knowing that our party has a resounding victory ahead,” Nchimbi told a rally in Dodoma. “I am fully prepared to be your supporter, not your competitor. I will assist you with all my strength and ability to ensure you fulfill CCM’s manifesto.”

​​Other political parties which collected presidential nomination forms at INEC offices include the National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA), which will field Hassan Kisabya as its presidential candidate and Ally Hassan as his running mate.

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Tanzania Bids Farewell to Former Speaker of Parliament Job Ndugai: ‘He Believed in Parliamentary Democracy’

President Samia Suluhu Hassan led thousands of mourners on Saturday in paying final respects to former 12th Parliament Speaker Job Ndugai, whose death was reported on August 6, 2025.

The funeral service for the former Kongwa Member of Parliament (under CCM) was held in Dodoma, attended by various dignitaries including senior government officials, former Members of Parliament, representatives from civil society organizations, and members of the public.

Speaking during the funeral of the longtime Kongwa constituency MP who served since 2000, Clerk of the National Assembly Baraka Leonard stated that Ndugai’s death resulted from critically low blood pressure caused by a severe respiratory system infection.

President Samia said Tanzania will remember the late Ndugai for the many leadership roles he held and his numerous contributions to the East African nation. The Head of State said Ndugai earned trust both nationally and internationally, where he held various positions in parliamentary bodies worldwide. 

“As highlighted in the tribute that was read, this great confidence stemmed from his political and leadership acumen, and his steadfast belief in parliamentary democracy,” President Samia told mourners. “During his tenure as Speaker, Parliament witnessed significant achievements.”

On his part, Vice President Philip Mpango said the life of the late Ndugai has a lot to teach people, including how he rose from humble beginnings, a reality which never stopped him from climbing to the very top – to becoming the head of Parliament’s leadership. 

“As he himself often said while encouraging others to work hard: ‘Coming from a poor family is no barrier to reaching the highest levels of public service or making an impact in our society.’ This was a profound lesson for me,” said Dr Mpango.

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CHADEMA Warns Members Against 2025 Election Participation, Upholds ‘No Reforms, No Election’ Stance

The opposition party CHADEMA has warned its members against participating in any activities related to the 2025 General Election, stating that taking part in the exercise would be against the party’s ‘No Reforms, No Election’ stance.

CHADEMA has instructed all members who received invitations to participate in election planning activities – including scheduling meetings or other electoral commission engagements – to abstain from participation. 

Instead, Zacharia Obad, CHADEMA’s Victoria Zone chairperson (encompassing Mwanza, Kagera, and Geita), called on members to organise locally and pressure for key reforms before the scheduled October 29, 2025, polls.

“We still have enough time [to fight for reforms],” Obad told a press conference on Saturday. “In faith, we still have plenty of time. For God, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 

“So, anything can happen between now and then. These leaders have ears, they have flesh, they have minds—they hear and they see. We must not waver from our ‘No Reforms, No Election’ stance.”

CHADEMA will boycott the 2025 general election under the current political and legal framework, which the centre-right party argues unfairly favours the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM)—in power for nearly six decades.

Among its key preconditions for electoral participation, CHADEMA demands an authentically independent electoral commission—one not accountable to the sitting President, who is also a candidate in the upcoming election.

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Tanzania’s Ruling CCM Says Nomination Process of the Presidential Candidate Adhered to Party Constitution and Regulations

Tanzania’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), affirmed on Saturday, August 9, 2025, that the nomination process for its candidates in the upcoming general election adhered to all required rules and regulations in line with party procedures. This was revealed during a special function outside the party’s headquarters after its presidential candidate, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is also the current president, and her running mate, Emmanuel Nchimbi, collected nomination forms from the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Speaking during the event, the party’s Deputy Secretary, John Mongella, said the January congress met all required standards.

“Through the national congress held from January 18 to 19 of this year, the meeting accomplished three main tasks: first, it elected you, our CCM chairperson and President of the United Republic of Tanzania, as the candidate for the presidential seat…” explained Mongella.

READ: Samia Seals the Deal for Her 2025 Presidential Candidacy in an Unprecedented Moment of CCM’s Internal Politics

He added: “Second, it received and confirmed the name of Ambassador Dr. Emmanuel Nchimbi as the running mate in the 2025 general election. Third, it confirmed Dr. Hussein Ally Mwinyi as the Chama Cha Mapinduzi candidate for the President of Zanzibar and Chairperson of the Revolutionary Council. Essentially, these three tasks were carried out in accordance with our party’s constitution without violating any article or regulation of CCM.”

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