Dar es Salaam – A year to the day after the arrest of Tundu Lissu, Tanzania’s main opposition party CHADEMA convened a virtual memorial on April 9, 2026, transforming what might have been a sombre remembrance into a rallying cry for democratic resistance.
The digital gathering, necessitated by a High Court injunction that has suspended CHADEMA from all political activities, brought together party leaders and international allies to confront a detention they characterise as politically motivated and legally baseless.
The event underscored the precarious state of opposition politics in Tanzania, where the detention of a major party leader has coincided with the party’s own legal paralysis and the suspension of his treason trial following a prosecution defeat in the High Court.
Amani Golugwa, CHADEMA’s Secretary General, opened the proceedings with a biographical sketch that positioned Lissu not merely as a politician but as a symbol of democratic resistance.
Born on January 20, 1968, in Singida, Lissu earned a law degree from the University of Dar es Salaam before pursuing postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom. Before entering electoral politics, he had established himself as a civil rights lawyer and human rights advocate, working with various civil society organisations focused on land rights, natural resource management, and government accountability.
His entry into parliament in 2010 as Member of Parliament for Singida East marked a transition from legal activism to political activism, though Golugwa suggested the distinction was largely semantic.
“Inside parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania, we will all remember how he was known for his great mastery of the law, heavy arguments, courage to criticise the government without fear, and he stood firm in protecting the interests of the citizens,” Golugwa said, recounting how Lissu became known in parliament for his legal acumen, forceful arguments, fearless criticism of the government, and unwavering defence of citizens’ interests.
The narrative took a darker turn when Golugwa recalled the September 7, 2017, assassination attempt in Dodoma, when Lissu was shot multiple times. His survival, Golugwa suggested, only strengthened his resolve. After extended medical treatment abroad, Lissu returned to become a central figure in CHADEMA’s opposition activities, particularly in the lead-up to the October 2025 general elections.
Golugwa emphasised that Thursday’s commemoration was not one of celebration, but rather a moment of renewed resolve. He told the participants, “Today is not a memorial of joy or celebration. But amidst the sadness and bowed hearts, we have become stronger, and our souls have continued to have more strength, morale, and courage.”
Arrest and ambiguity
John Heche, CHADEMA’s deputy chairperson for Tanzania Mainland, provided a detailed account of the arrest itself, which occurred in Mbinga in the Ruvuma Region during what the party describes as a routine tour. Heche was present in the area at the time, in a nearby location called Peramiho, when Lissu was taken.
“He was arrested by force and transported at night without the party knowing, without his fellow leaders being informed,” Heche recounted, emphasising the clandestine nature of the detention. “He was hidden for several days, and later the police said they had him.”
What followed, according to Heche, was a legal process marked by procedural irregularities and unexplained delays. The party spent more than four months in the lower court in Kisutu without receiving a committal order—a prerequisite under Tanzanian law before a case can proceed to the High Court. This delay, Heche argued, violated fundamental principles of justice.
“Lawyers say justice delayed is justice denied,” Heche noted, invoking the legal maxim to underscore what he characterised as deliberate obstruction.
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When the case eventually reached the High Court, the prosecution presented evidence from witnesses described only as “bodaboda” operators and street vendors. Heche characterised this evidence as substantially lacking in credibility. Yet despite these weaknesses, the prosecution subsequently appealed to the Court of Appeal, seeking to introduce new evidence—a move the High Court had already rejected as legally incompetent.
Machinery of detention
Heche’s most pointed criticism was reserved for what he portrayed as the weaponisation of the legal system against a political opponent. He rejected the treason charges entirely, asserting that Lissu is neither a thief, a traitor, nor a leader of criminal elements.
“Lissu is not a thief, nor is Lissu a traitor,” Heche stated emphatically. “Lissu does not lead a group or gang of traitors. Lissu does not lead a gang of thieves or people with bad intentions for the country.”
Instead, he characterised Lissu as a legitimate political leader with a decade of parliamentary experience and the support of millions of Tanzanians. The arrest, Heche suggested, was motivated not by evidence but by fear—fear of Lissu’s popularity and political influence among those in power who lack comparable legitimacy.
“He was arrested not because he committed an offence. He was arrested because of the fear of people who have no ability, no influence, and are not accepted by society. They want to use that opportunity to silence him,” Heche stated, arguing that the government sought to use detention as a tool to suppress political opposition.
What made this assertion particularly pointed was Heche’s revelation that the government had allegedly offered to release Lissu on condition that he renounce politics and leave the country—an offer both Lissu and the party rejected.
READ MORE: UN Body Rules Tundu Lissu’s Detention Arbitrary, Demands Immediate Release
“One of those conditions is that Lissu agrees to be released, but stops doing politics inside the country. He stops defending Tanzanians, leaves and stays outside the country. Lissu refused. They gave us conditions which we rejected,” Heche said, emphasising that Lissu’s refusal to compromise demonstrated his commitment to democratic principles over personal freedom.
The health question
A significant portion of Heche’s remarks focused on Lissu’s health and medical needs. Prior to his arrest, Lissu had been receiving regular medical checkups and high-level medical consultations abroad, a routine established following the 2017 assassination attempt. Since his detention, he has been denied access to these medical services.
“Now it is 12 months, meaning he has missed four checkups that he was supposed to do during the one year he is being held on a false case,” Heche noted, indicating that Lissu has missed four scheduled medical examinations over the past year—a gap that Heche suggested posed risks to his health.
Moreover, Heche alleged that Lissu has been denied private meetings with his legal counsel while imprisoned, a violation of fundamental rights that undermines his ability to prepare an adequate defence. The prison authorities, however, have denied these claims.
Rather than limiting the discussion to lamentation, Heche pivoted to outlining CHADEMA’s strategy for securing Lissu’s release. The party plans to launch a coordinated campaign across social media platforms to maintain international and domestic pressure on the government.
The diaspora, he suggested, should intensify advocacy efforts by visiting government offices in their respective countries to demand Lissu’s unconditional release. Youth activists within Tanzania are being mobilised to produce and distribute materials bearing Lissu’s image and messages calling for his release, to be posted in markets, on utility poles, and on government buildings.
“Let our young people inside the country wear t-shirts with messages demanding the release of Lissu,” Heche urged. “Write and distribute flyers in markets, on electricity poles, on government office buildings with pictures of Lissu but with messages demanding his release.”
Heche warned that if these initial efforts prove unsuccessful, the party would escalate to nationwide demonstrations.
“We will call for massive nationwide protests to demand his release,” he said. “If they do not listen to us, we will not continue to stay silent and cry. We will organise large demonstrations throughout the country.”
International dimensions
The inclusion of Edwin Sifuna, a Kenyan senator and prominent regional voice for democracy, signalled the transnational dimensions of the campaign. Sifuna, who serves as Senator for Nairobi County, has emerged as a vocal advocate for democratic governance across East Africa.
Sifuna confirmed that the detention of Lissu has attracted significant international attention, particularly among leaders participating in the Platform for African Democrats, a coalition representing more than 30 countries.
“There are very many people outside Tanzania, here in Kenya and in many African nations and even other nations who have closely followed the situation in the country of Tanzania, and especially this issue of the CHADEMA chairman Honourable Tundu Lissu,” Sifuna noted, emphasising that the case has become a focal point for regional discussions about democratic backsliding.
Sifuna assured CHADEMA that they are not alone in their struggle.
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“You should not think we have forgotten our brother Lissu,” he declared. “Even he, wherever he is, should know that his friends, and he knows all of us his friends, we stand with him to speak and pressure that this oppressive government should release him now because it has become clear that they had no case against him at all.”
Sifuna’s remarks also touched on a broader concern: the potential spread of authoritarian practices across the region. He pointed to similar patterns in Uganda and noted that Kenya itself has experienced democratic erosion, including the historical single-party rule under KANU and contemporary challenges to multiparty democracy.
“We are very concerned to see things that are happening in the East African region,” Sifuna warned, suggesting that the treatment of Lissu and CHADEMA serves as a cautionary tale for neighbouring democracies.
The detention of an opposition leader on charges widely viewed as politically motivated, combined with the suspension of his party from electoral participation, represents a pattern that Sifuna characterised as dangerous and potentially contagious. He drew a comparison to the spread of COVID-19, suggesting that authoritarianism spreads similarly across borders.
“This is like a disease,” Sifuna explained. “When COVID started in Wuhan, China, people thought it was far away from them, but it did not take even a week to reach other nations. This is how dictatorship spreads. We here in Kenya are also concerned that those in government want to imitate the methods that the Tanzanian government used to weaken democracy.”
He urged Tanzanians not to capitulate to pressure or show fear in the face of government intimidation.
“You should not try to bow to these people or show them fear,” Sifuna said. “Because when you do that, you give them an opportunity. We here in Kenya have had a system like this.
“You know that Kenya’s history was very painful because we could not participate in elections, and the opposition leader could be arrested and given cases that have no beginning or end. The main opposition party, like CHADEMA, could be banned, so they could not have candidates in elections. These are amazing things.”
Heche concluded his remarks with a pledge that encapsulated the party’s stance: “I want to assure Tanzanians on behalf of our party that we will not bow down, we will not turn back, we will not accept to lick the shoes of oppressors. We want justice to be done and justice to be seen to be done.”
