Dodoma – The government has announced a nationwide ban on all political rallies, directing police to withhold permits for public meetings by any political party.
The directive, issued by Minister of Home Affairs Patrobas Katambi in Parliament on June 26, 2026, marks a significant reversal of the political freedoms restored just three years ago and has drawn immediate condemnation from opposition groups.
The ban comes amid rising political tensions and online mobilisation for nationwide protests planned for July 7, known locally as Saba Saba Day. The government maintains the measure is necessary to preserve peace and protect economic activities, while opposition parties describe it as an unconstitutional attempt to stifle dissent.
Addressing Parliament, Katambi stated that the directive was a response to security threats and alleged plans by unnamed individuals to incite violence. He instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Camillus Wambura, to cease issuing permits for political gatherings.
“I direct IGP Wambura not to issue permits for any activities related to holding public rallies during this period for any party, whether it is the ruling party or any other party,” Mr Katambi directed. “It is better we return to allowing citizens to build the economy of their country.”
The government’s primary argument centres on national security and economic stability. Katambi emphasised that the country is expecting international visitors for the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (Saba Saba) and that security forces need to focus on identifying “criminals” without the complication of large political crowds.
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Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba reinforced this position during a public address in Singida on June 27, 2026. He framed the ban not as a conflict between political parties, but as a necessary security measure.
“We want to protect Tanzanians,” he said. “We want the safety of Tanzanians’ lives… Security is priority number one. Protection of our country is priority number one.”
Nchemba alleged that authorities had arrested individuals planning violence, and others who were reportedly being paid to recruit youth for violent activities. He assured the public that the ban was temporary and that rallies would resume once the security threats were addressed.
Opposition reaction
Opposition parties have rejected the government’s rationale, arguing that the ban is unconstitutional and violates established political rights.
The Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT Wazalendo) on June 26, 2026, condemned the directive, arguing that the ban violates Article 20(1) of the Constitution and Section 23(1) of the Political Parties Act, which guarantee the right to peaceful assembly.
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“This directive is not just an attempt to push the country further into darkness and prevent the lawful activities of political parties, but it is a continuation of the rulers violating the Constitution,” said the party’s Shadow Minister for Defence and Home Affairs, Rashid Habib Ali. “Public rallies are a constitutional and legal requirement, not a favour from the minister or state organs.”
ACT Wazalendo announced its intention to challenge the ban in court, stating that the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party had “completely failed to compete on political platforms with arguments” and had lost political tolerance.
The main opposition party, CHADEMA, which has been holding massive rallies across the country since May 2026, also dismissed the government’s claims. Speaking at a rally in Iringa on June 13, 2026, CHADEMA deputy chairperson (Tanzania Mainland), John Heche, rejected allegations that the party was plotting violence.
“We are a party of peace and justice,” Heche told rally-goers. “We will not accept these threats from CCM anymore. Everything we do is being scrutinised — by the Registrar, by CCM, by every authority. What exactly do they want from CHADEMA?”
Heche suggested the allegations were driven by fear within the ruling establishment following growing public support for the opposition’s demands, which include constitutional reforms and the release of party chairperson Tundu Lissu, who remains detained on treason charges.
Bans and reversals
The current prohibition is not the first time political rallies have been banned in the country. On June 24, 2016, the late President John Magufuli announced a blanket ban on political parties organising political activities and rallies.
READ MORE: CHADEMA Rejects CCM Claims of Plotting Violence, Accuses Ruling Party of Political Intimidation
Magufuli rationalised the 2016 ban by arguing that the time for politics had ended with the 2015 elections, and that citizens and politicians needed to focus exclusively on national development and building the economy.
Under his directive, politicians were restricted to holding assemblies only within their respective constituencies. However, human rights organisations noted that the ban was selectively applied, with opposition leaders facing intimidation and arrest while ruling party politicians continued their activities relatively unhindered.
Following Magufuli’s death, President Samia lifted the six-year ban on January 3, 2023. The decision was widely praised by domestic and international observers as a crucial step toward restoring civil and political rights. At the time, President Samia stated that it was the right of political parties to hold rallies and promised to revive the stalled process of rewriting the constitution.
The reinstatement of the ban just three years later marks a significant shift back toward the restrictive policies of the previous administration, raising concerns about the trajectory of the nation’s democratic reforms.
Mtikila v. Attorney General
The government’s reliance on police permits to control political gatherings stands in direct tension with established legal precedent in Tanzania.
The requirement for political parties to obtain permits from District Commissioners or police was fundamentally challenged and struck down in the landmark 1993 High Court case, Rev. Christopher Mtikila v. The Attorney General (Civil Case No. 5 of 1993).
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In that case, the late Rev. Mtikila challenged several laws, including Section 40 of the Police Force Ordinance and Section 11(1) of the Political Parties Act, which required permits for assemblies and processions.
The High Court, presided over by the late Justice Kamugumya Simon Kahwa Lugakingira, delivered a profound analysis of constitutional rights versus administrative control. The court determined that while the Constitution states that the freedom of peaceful assembly is “subject to the laws of the land,” those laws must themselves be lawful and not arbitrary.
“A law which seeks to make the exercise of those rights subject to the permission of another person cannot be consistent with the express provisions of the Constitution, for it makes the exercise illusory,” Justice Lugakingira reasoned.
The court applied a two-part test to determine the validity of limitations on constitutional rights: the law must provide adequate safeguards against arbitrary decisions, and the limitation must not be more than is reasonably necessary (the principle of proportionality).
The court found that the permit requirements failed this test entirely, as they placed absolute discretion in the hands of District Commissioners without any safeguards against abuse.
“It is in the absolute discretion of the District Commissioner to determine the circumstances conducive to the organisation of an assembly or procession; there is no adequate or any safeguards against the arbitrary exercise of that discretion,” Justice Lugakingira went on.
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“I have easily come to the conclusion that the requirement for a permit infringes the freedom of peaceful assembly and procession and is therefore unconstitutional.”
The judge observed on the political reality of the permit system, analysing: “In the Tanzanian context, this freedom is rendered the more illusory by the stark truth that the power to grant permits is vested in cadres of the ruling party.”
The Mtikila ruling remains a cornerstone of Tanzania’s multiparty democracy jurisprudence, establishing that the right to assemble is inherent and not a privilege granted by the state.
Despite this clear judicial pronouncement declaring permit requirements unconstitutional, the government’s recent directive to the IGP to withhold permits demonstrates a persistent reliance on administrative control over political gatherings.
