According to the opposition party, a senior Tanzanian official was kidnapped and gravely wounded

A month after another of its party leaders was kidnapped and killed, a prominent Tanzanian opposition party official was kidnapped, severely beaten, and dumped in a wilderness by unknown individuals, the party announced on Sunday.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has been commended for reducing repression since taking over for John Magufuli, who passed away three years ago, may have his reformist reputation damaged by the reported occurrences.

Rights activists claim that Hassan’s administration is focusing on critics in the run-up to the December municipal elections and the 2025 national election. The charges are refuted by the government.

According to CHADEMA, the main opposition party, Aisha Machano, the publicity secretary for its women’s wing, was kidnapped in Kibiti town in the country’s east while she was performing official duties.

According to the party’s social media post on X, “Bodaboda (motorcycle) riders found her in a very bad health condition and in severe pain.”

According to CHADEMA, during the 2023 World Women Day celebrations in the Kilimanjaro region, Machano’s kidnappers sought information about the person who gave them the order to burn clothing that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had donated.

“She has been admitted to the theater for additional medical care after being rushed to the hospital for treatment,” the party stated.

According to police spokesperson David Misime, detectives had begun looking into the incident after learning that Machano had been discovered in a Kibiti jungle.

“We are asking the public to remain calm while the investigation provides information about what happened to her, the reasons behind the incident, and the individuals involved. Based on the evidence that is available, we will take legal action,” he said.

Within two months, Machano is the second high-ranking opposition official to be kidnapped and subjected to torture. Early last month, armed men kidnapped Ali Kibao, a member of CHADEMA’s secretariat, off a bus as it was on its way from Dar es Salaam to Tanga, a seaside city.

According to his party at the time, Kibao’s body was later discovered outside of Dar es Salaam with evidence that he had been beaten and had had acid poured on his face.

Police stopped protests organized by CHADEMA in September protesting Kibao’s killing and other alleged kidnappings and disappearances of people and opposition party officials in Dar es Salaam.

Hassan mandated a probe into Kibao’s death and all associated cases last month.