Dar es Salaam – Geoffrey Mwambe, a former minister of industry and trade, was released on Sunday, December 14, 2025, after being detained for a week. His lawyer, Hekima Mwasipu, confirmed that Mr Mwambe had been granted police bail and is required to report back to the police in seven days as investigations continue.
Mr Mwambe was arrested on December 7, 2025, and held incommunicado for over 24 hours, prompting his legal team to file a petition for his release. The petition was scheduled to be heard at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam on Monday, December 15, 2025, but was rendered moot by his release.
Mr Mwasipu stated that his client is facing two accusations: a plot to assassinate the police chief, whose identity has not been disclosed, and online incitement. He added that Mr Mwambe was interrogated without legal representation.
Mr Mwambe has held several senior positions in the Tanzanian government, including serving as the executive director of the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC). He was appointed Minister of Industry and Trade in 2021 and later served as the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Investment. President Samia Suluhu Hassan dropped him from the cabinet in a reshuffle in January 2022.
In July 2025, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party removed Mr Mwambe from its list of parliamentary candidates ahead of the party’s primaries. His arrest has been linked by some to internal political tensions within the CCM.
