Tanzanian opposition figure Ali Mohamed Kibao, a member of the CHADEMA party, was laid to rest on Monday, September 9, 2024, after being brutally abducted and killed.

He was forcibly taken off a bus at gunpoint by suspected security agents while traveling from Dar es Salaam to Tanga. His body was later discovered in Dar es Salaam’s Ununio district, showing signs of severe beating and acid burns.

The incident has sparked concerns about the increasing threats faced by opposition leaders in Tanzania. Less than a month earlier, CHADEMA Chairman Freeman Mbowe, his deputy Tundu Lissu, and other party leaders were briefly detained in a crackdown that raised fears of shrinking democratic space.

 

CHADEMA officials, including Mbowe, expressed outrage, with Mbowe stating, “We cannot allow our people to continue disappearing or being killed like this.” He added that several other party officials had also gone missing.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, reacting to the news, expressed her sadness and directed authorities to investigate Kibao’s death, pledging that her government would not tolerate such acts of cruelty. “Every citizen has the right to live, and my government will ensure justice is served,” she said.

Kibao, 69, a former military intelligence officer, had been with CHADEMA since 2008. His death comes amid growing political unrest, with rights groups warning of a potential return to oppressive policies seen under the late President John Magufuli. Despite President Hassan’s promises to open up the political landscape, opposition leaders continue to face harassment and threats, with arrests and abductions casting a shadow over the upcoming elections.

The police have vowed to pursue those responsible for Kibao’s death, but public trust in the investigations remains low, as similar incidents remain unresolved.