Tanzania’s main opposition party CHADEMA, has resumed public rallies across the country, focusing on calls to free its party chairperson, demands for a new constitution, and accountability for the killings of October 29, 2025. At a rally held in Kahama on May 18, 2026, the party reported that its chairperson was ailing in prison, where he has been held on treason charges for over 400 days.
The party’s first rally was held in Arusha on May 8, 2026, organised by CHADEMA Central Committee members Godbless Lema and Boniface Jacob. Many observers viewed the rally as a test of both citizen turnout and the response of security forces, which have been clamping down on party activities for the past year following a court order. The rally was a success, with the party showcasing photographs of a packed ground.
The party launched its official national rally series in Katoro, Geita, on May 16, 2026, and continued with a further rally in Geita town.
“We want an independent international commission, one that is impartial, to come and investigate what happened in Tanzania so that appropriate action can be taken against those who committed these acts,” Party Vice Chairperson John Heche said.
He continued: “I want to assure you that CHADEMA will never remain silent in the face of such grave injustice. You cannot kill and expect everything to continue as normal.”
READ: Tanzania’s Ruling Party, CCM, Denies Sending Goons to Attack CHADEMA Rallies
“When Cain killed his brother Abel, God told him three things: he would not have peace, even when he worked the land, he would not get a harvest, and third, that wherever he went, he would be marked. Do these oppressive rulers have peace? No, they do not have peace,” Heche emphasized.
At its Kahama rally on Monday, May 18, 2026, the party reported that its chairperson, who has remained in prison for over 400 days, had been experiencing severe stomach pain.
“I spoke with Dr. Nshala, our party’s Chief Legal Counsel. He told me that they had just visited our chairman in prison. According to him, yesterday and the day before that, our chairperson was given some oranges, papaya, a piece of pineapple, and a mango. After finishing eating, he suddenly experienced severe stomach pain,” John Heche said.
“In his words, Lissu said the stomach pain he experienced was unlike anything he had ever felt in his life. As you know, Lissu has undergone more than 36 surgeries, yet he says the pain he felt the other day was worse than any pain he had previously experienced,” he added.
READ: Tanzania Denies Claims of Plan to Poison Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu in Prison
Heche told rally-goers that after several hours, Lissu was able to call a prison guard, who was able to arrange for him to receive assistance.
“They then gave him an injection for pain relief, although they reportedly struggled to find his veins. Later, he said that medical tests were conducted and he was told that he had amoeba,” Heche explained.
In his address, Heche warned that the party would ensure a comprehensive medical check-up for Lissu upon his release, including testing for poisons. Claims of a plot to poison Tundu Lissu had circulated on social media last year, prompting the government to issue a denial. Those claims have resurfaced again on social media in the past week.
The treason trial of Tundu Lissu has been halted since February 24, 2026, following a request by prosecutors, who argued that they are appealing a decision made by the High Court. Both Lissu and his party have described the move as a delay tactic aimed at weakening Lissu’s resolve following the collapse of the case.
