A senior official from Tanzania’s leading opposition party, CHADEMA, has been abducted, beaten, and seriously injured before being dumped in a forest, according to party statements released on Sunday. This incident, involving Aisha Machano, the women’s wing publicity secretary, occurs just a month after the similar abduction and murder of another party leader, raising alarm over potential political repression in the country.
CHADEMA reported that Machano was kidnapped in Kibiti town in eastern Tanzania while on official duties. She was later discovered by motorcycle riders in a severely injured state and rushed to a hospital for emergency treatment. The party stated that Machano’s abductors demanded information about who had instructed the burning of clothes provided by President Samia Suluhu Hassan during 2023 World Women’s Day commemorations in the Kilimanjaro region.
This incident casts a shadow over the reformist image of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has been credited with easing political repression since succeeding John Magufuli in 2021. Rights campaigners allege that Hassan’s government is targeting opponents in the run-up to local elections in December and the national vote in 2025, accusations the government denies.
Police spokesperson David Misime confirmed that investigations have been launched following Machano’s discovery in a forest in Kibiti. He urged the public to remain calm as the investigation proceeds, promising legal action based on the evidence gathered.
This abduction follows the recent case of Ali Kibao, another senior CHADEMA official, who was kidnapped and later found dead on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam last month, showing signs of severe beating and acid burns. In response to Kibao’s death and other reported abductions, CHADEMA organized demonstrations in September, which were thwarted by police.
President Hassan ordered an investigation into Kibao’s death and related cases last month, but the recent attack on Machano raises questions about the effectiveness of these measures and the overall state of political freedom in Tanzania.
