Dar es Salaam – The Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court has acquitted three men of charges related to the burning of a political party office, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
However, the men, who were arrested following the October 29, 2025, protests, will remain in prison as they await trial on a separate, more serious charge of treason.
The court found that the prosecution’s evidence in the arson case, which concerned the alleged torching of a Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party office in the Kivule Majohe area of Dar es Salaam, was flawed. Specifically, the magistrate determined that the state had failed to positively identify the individuals responsible for the act.
Despite the victory in court, the three accused will not be reunited with their families. They are among a group of individuals still facing non-bailable treason charges stemming from the widespread protests and unrest that accompanied the general election.
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Speaking outside the courthouse after the ruling, the defendants’ lawyer, William Maduhu of the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), called on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Sylvester Mwakitalu, to drop the remaining charges.
“My advice to my brother, DPP Sylvester Mwakitalu, is that these treason charges have no reason to continue keeping these youths inside,” Maduhu pleaded. “If you have failed to prove the arson charges, I am not sure and have no faith that you can prove the treason charges.”
The parents of the accused expressed a mixture of relief and continued anxiety. They thanked the legal team for their work while pleading for the remaining case to be withdrawn.
Sheira Mohammed, one of the parents, said: “We thank our lawyers who fought for us until our children got justice. It has been shown that our children are innocent. I thank lawyer Maduhu very much. May God continue to keep him and give him life to continue fighting for the other children who are left inside, so that their cases also end.”
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“We ask the DPP to expedite the treason case, to drop it so our children can be released and continue with their lives and the work of building the nation,” said another parent, Gati Matiko.
The acquittal comes after a presidential directive led to the release of more than 1,700 people who were detained during the post-election crackdown.
However, a small number of individuals, including these three men, remain in custody facing serious charges. Further court hearings for other related cases are scheduled for March 13, 18, and 19.
