Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has strongly condemned the killing of Mohamed Ali Kibao, a senior member of the opposition party Chadema, who was kidnapped, beaten, and doused with acid.
Kibao, 69, was abducted on Friday while traveling from Dar es Salaam to his hometown of Tanga. His body was later discovered in the Ununio district of Dar es Salaam. A post-mortem revealed he had been severely beaten and had acid poured on his face, according to Chadema party chairman Freeman Mbowe.
President Samia denounced the “brutal acts” and has ordered a thorough investigation into the murder, stating, “Our country is a democracy, and every citizen has the right to live.”
The U.S. Embassy in Tanzania has also called for an independent and transparent investigation into Kibao’s death, amidst growing concern over political repression and a wave of abductions targeting opposition leaders.
Kibao, a retired military intelligence officer who joined Chadema in 2008, will be laid to rest in his hometown of Tanga. His murder has sparked widespread outrage, with opposition figures warning of increasing threats against political activists ahead of the 2025 presidential elections.
