Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on October 7, 2025.
Tanzania Ex-Diplomat’s Brother Wanted by Police Over Kidnapping Allegations
The Tanzania Police Force has announced that it is searching for Augustino Polepole to provide a statement and evidence regarding allegations he made about the reported abduction of his brother, former diplomat Humphrey Polepole.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, the police said they are continuing to investigate claims made on October 6, 2025, by a man identifying himself as Augustino Polepole. In a video that went viral on social media, Augustino claimed that his brother Humphrey was abducted after unknown individuals raided his house in Ununio, Dar es Salaam, during the early hours of that day.
The police said they want Augustino to come forward to substantiate his claims, including his allegation that a police officer was involved in the alleged abduction. Authorities also stated that they need him to confirm whether Humphrey was indeed residing in or renting the Ununio home where the incident was said to have occurred.
Humphrey Polepole, who previously served as Tanzania’s ambassador to Malawi and later to Cuba, resigned from his diplomatic post in Cuba on July 13, 2025. Since then, he has become an outspoken critic of the government and the ruling CCM party, making a series of allegations through social media platforms.
On September 15, 2025, the Tanzania Police Force summoned Humphrey Polepole to appear before the office of the Director of Criminal Investigations to provide statements and evidence regarding the allegations he had been making online.
National Electoral Commission Revises 2025 Voter Figures Amid Scrutiny
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a revised count of registered voters for the upcoming 2025 General Election, now standing at 37,622,255—a slight reduction from the 37,847,255 initially announced.
In an official statement released on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, the commission also confirmed that a total of 99,895 polling stations will be used nationwide, down from the previously announced 99,911, following adjustments made by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC).
According to the updated figures, a total of 37,622,255 Tanzanians are registered to vote in the forthcoming elections. The geographical distribution shows 37,550,992 voters are from Tanzania Mainland, while 296,263 are from Zanzibar.
The gender breakdown reveals women constitute 19,050,001 registered voters, representing 50.34 per cent of the electorate, while men number 18,796,254, accounting for 49.66 per cent.
The polling infrastructure will see 99,895 stations operational nationwide, with 97,246 located on the Mainland and 2,567 in Zanzibar.
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Tundu Lissu Grills Police Witness as Treason Trial Cross-Examination Turns Fiery
The treason trial of CHADEMA national chairperson Tundu Lissu entered a dramatic new phase on Tuesday as the opposition leader, representing himself, launched a fierce and detailed cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, systematically challenging the integrity of the police investigation and the very foundation of the charges against him.
The session was marked by tense exchanges, as Mr Lissu questioned Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) George Wilbard Bagyemu for hours, exposing inconsistencies between his court testimony and his initial police statements, and accusing the investigation of being a “fishing expedition” designed to entrap him.
Before the cross-examination began, Mr Lissu raised a fresh complaint with the court, revealing that his brother, Dr Stephen Linco, who had travelled from Germany to attend the proceedings, had been barred from entering the courtroom by immigration officials.
“How does the Immigration Department prevent someone from entering a courtroom?” Lissu asked the judges. “A guest who has entered the country with a visa cannot be barred from entering a courtroom. What is their business preventing people from coming to court?”
The bench acknowledged the complaint and stated they would follow up with the court registrar.
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CUF Parliamentary Candidate for Siha Killed in Mob Attack
The Tanzania Police Force in the Kilimanjaro Region has confirmed the death of Daud Wilbard Ntuyehabi, the Civic United Front (CUF) parliamentary candidate for Siha constituency, who was killed on October 7, 2025, at around 7:30 p.m. after being attacked by a mob that took the law into their own hands.
According to police reports, Ntuyehabi was assaulted after he allegedly stabbed a man identified as Abdul Issah Mohamed in the stomach, causing severe injuries that left his intestines exposed. Abdul was reportedly trying to mediate a dispute that had broken out at a local liquor store between Ntuyehabi and another man over an unpaid debt.
“It is alleged that the cause of the stabbing of Abdul Issah, who is still receiving treatment at the hospital, was his attempt to intervene in a quarrel between the late Daud Wilbard Ntuyehabi and Hamad Issah Mohamed while they were drinking alcohol and arguing about money,” the police statement read.
Following the incident, Kilimanjaro regional police have arrested eight suspects in connection with the mob attack that led to Ntuyehabi’s death.
The police have strongly condemned acts of mob justice, urging citizens to refrain from taking the law into their own hands, and confirmed that investigations into the matter are still ongoing.
Op-Ed: Lobito Corridor: A Wake-Up Call for Dar es Salaam, or an Opportunity to Reinvent Our Port?
Each December, when I return to my village, I reunite with my childhood friend, Mukama. We grew up together, sharing the same dusty primary school classroom and dreaming of a world beyond our horizons.
Life, however, led us down divergent paths. I pursued a career in mass communication, while Mukama became a long-haul truck driver, transporting copper and cobalt across East and Central Africa.
Over steaming morning cups of porridge, Mukama opens a window into his world. His accounts are not abstract theories of trade routes or policy frameworks; they are the gritty, lived realities of the road.
He describes the interminable queues at Tunduma, the weeks spent idling at Dar es Salaam Port awaiting clearance, the unofficial chai payments demanded by police along the highway, and the persistent anxiety of sleeping beside valuable cargo in isolated locations. His voice, heavy with exhaustion, carries a distinct urgency.
“Dada Msomi,” he tells me, “this business of moving cargo through Dar is killing us. One day lost is money gone. A week wasted at the port means my family suffers. Our Zambian and Congolese clients are patient—for now. But mark my words: in five years, Tanzania will lose this trade if nothing changes.”
Mukama’s words linger with me, and they should resonate deeply with Tanzania’s policymakers as well.
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