Dar es Salaam – The Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), the official assembly of Catholic bishops in the country, has publicly denied issuing a statement that urged citizens to maintain peace and avoid demonstrations ahead of the October 29 general election.
The fake document, which was widely circulated on social media, appeared to align with the government’s recent emphasis on peace, a message that has been met with suspicion by some critics amid a tense political climate.
The forgery highlights the influential position of the Catholic Church in Tanzania, where approximately 30 per cent of the population—over 23 million people—identify as Catholic, making it the largest Christian denomination in the country.
The Church’s reach extends far beyond spiritual matters. It operates 487 healthcare facilities, including one zonal consultant referral hospital, six regional hospitals, and 338 dispensaries. In education, the Church runs more than 100 kindergartens, 235 secondary schools, 75 vocational training centres, and four universities.
This vast network of social services, which touches the lives of millions of Tanzanians daily, gives the Church considerable moral authority and makes it an attractive target for those seeking to legitimise political messages.
‘Not from us’
In a video statement released on October 13, 2025, the TEC’s Secretary General, Fr Dr Charles Kitima, unequivocally declared the document a forgery.
“We would like to denounce this statement,” Fr Kitima stated. “The Tanzania Episcopal Conference did not issue this statement to believers or to Tanzanians in general. The Episcopal Conference is not involved with the content in that document, which bears the false title ‘Statement of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference on Peace for the Nation Ahead of the General Election.’”
The fraudulent statement, dated October 11, 2025, called on Tanzanians to refrain from participating in any activities that could disrupt peace, a message that closely mirrors the government’s recent pronouncements. Fr Kitima condemned the forgery in strong terms.
“This is a bad practice of using the names of Bishops and even using the signatures of Bishops, the President of TEC, to pass a message that did not come from the Council,” he said. “This message or this statement is not a statement from the Bishops. This bad practice should be stopped by those with authority to stop those who violate the regulations of other institutions.”
He added that even the signatures on the document were fabricated, saying: “From today, since yesterday this message, we say the word that has been circulating in the media is fake. Even these signatures used here are fake. Fake because it was not issued by the Bishops, nor did the Bishops order anyone to issue that statement.”
Delicate position
The TEC’s swift and public denial underscores the delicate position of religious institutions in Tanzania’s increasingly polarised political landscape. The fake statement has led to accusations that the government is co-opting religious bodies to quell dissent, a charge that other religious institutions have also been forced to deny.
On October 10, 2025, the National Muslim Council of Tanzania (BAKWATA) also found itself on the defensive, with Mufti and Chief Sheikh of Tanzania, Abubakar Zubeir, refuting claims that the council was being used by the government to promote its peace narrative.
READ MORE: Catholic Church Warns Clergy Against Political Campaigning Ahead of Tanzania’s 2025 Election
During his working tour of the Njombe region on October 10, the Mufti clarified this point in a meeting with religious and government leaders. He emphasised that one of BAKWATA’s key roles is to promote peace and patriotism, countering the perception that the Council is merely a tool of the government.
“We talk a lot about peace and patriotism because we know the current situation of the country,” Sheikh Zubeir said. “Some people think that we are puppets, that the government is using us. We are not being used by the government. We understand the importance of building a society that values patriotism.”
He added: “We cannot abandon the responsibility of safeguarding the interests of the nation or the government in power, BAKWATA cannot deviate from that.”
Sheikh Zubeir is concluding his Southern circuit tour, where he visited Iringa, Njombe, Ruvuma and is expected to conclude in Mtwara. He has maintained a message on voting and maintaining peace in the country.
Planned demos
The government’s focus on peace comes as unconfirmed reports of planned nationwide demonstrations on election day continue to circulate on social media. The protests, reportedly organised by youth groups, are intended to voice opposition to corruption, enforced disappearances and to demand electoral reforms to ensure a free and fair election.
The main opposition party, CHADEMA, has been campaigning on a platform of No Reforms, No Election, and its national chairperson, Tundu Lissu, is currently facing treason charges for allegedly inciting rebellion.
The growing political tension has been exacerbated by a recent wave of alleged abductions targeting opposition members. At least 13 CHADEMA members and supporters have disappeared between October 1 and October 9, 2025.
The party has documented a pattern of abductions by armed men in unmarked white Land Cruiser vehicles across several regions, including Simiyu, Singida, Morogoro, Njombe, and Shinyanga.
READ MORE: Outspoken Catholic Priest Dr Charles Kitima Hospitalised Following An Attack
Among those reported missing are Lobezi Kulilo Masanyiwa, a CHADEMA Executive Committee member in Busega district, who was taken at gunpoint from his workplace by masked men on October 1. On October 3, Issa Hamisi Kaudo, a CHADEMA Ward Chairperson in Ikungi, was lured outside by a phone call and forced into a Land Cruiser.
On October 4, Amos Pambala, CHADEMA’s Publicity Secretary in Morogoro, vanished after answering a phone call, whilst Abednego Sanga, the party’s youth wing secretary in Njombe, was reportedly forcibly taken from his pharmacy by armed men.
CHADEMA deputy chairperson for Tanzania Mainland, John Heche, addressed the situation outside the High Court in Dar es Salaam on October 8, demanding accountability from authorities.
“The continued acts of abducting people because they criticise the government are unacceptable, and we will not accept them,” Heche told journalists. “If someone has done wrong, the laws of our country exist. We want to know who these people are who have abducted nearly 15 people in 11 consecutive days.”
Do not dare
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is also the presidential candidate for the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, has issued a stern warning to those planning to disrupt the election.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Bariadi, Simiyu region, on October 10, 2025, she stated, “There are people threatening to make people not come out on the 29th. I want to tell them that the one speaking here is the Commander-in-Chief of this nation’s Armed Forces. I want to tell them, do not dare. If even a matchstick breaks, we are with them. We have prepared well. Come out and vote, then go home and rest. There is no fear.”
The TEC’s decision to distance itself from the fake statement comes just weeks after the Catholic Church issued a directive forbidding its clergy from engaging in political campaigning.
On September 25, 2025, TEC President Archbishop Wolfgang Pisa declared that it was a “great sin” and a “defilement of the Church” for priests and nuns to be seen at political rallies. The warning followed an incident where several nuns were photographed at a CCM campaign event in Mtwara region, publicly endorsing President Samia’s re-election bid.
“It is forbidden for a priest, it is forbidden for a nun, it is forbidden for you seminarians, to be seen in political campaigns,” Archbishop Pisa stated emphatically during a mass at Kipalapala Major Seminary in Tabora. “A great prohibition. We are not supposed to be seen there.”
The Archbishop also condemned the manipulation of clergy for political purposes, emphasising: “It is not right to deceive someone about something they do not understand, you take hold of a novice, you take hold of a nun who doesn’t even listen to the radio, doesn’t read the news, you just grab them, then you give them orders, indoctrinate them, that is a sin and a serious mistake, forbidden.”
