DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Tanzanian authorities have deregistered a church owned by a ruling party lawmaker after he publicly accused the government of human rights violations ahead of the country’s October elections.
On Tuesday, police cordoned off the Glory of Christ church (Ufufuo na Uzima) in Dar es Salaam, owned by parliament member Josephat Gwajima, after hundreds of congregants gathered to protest the closure. The registrar of societies issued a letter stating that Gwajima’s sermons contravened the acceptable conduct expected of religious organizations.
Last Sunday, Gwajima criticized the government for alleged detentions and enforced disappearances, warning his congregation to remain vigilant. His comments came days after a Kenyan activist and a Ugandan counterpart accused Tanzanian police of torturing them following their arrest ahead of opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s treason case proceedings.
Tanzania is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in October. The ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has maintained power since the country’s independence in 1961. The main opposition party, Chadema, continues to call for electoral reforms ahead of the polls.
Gwajima, elected to parliament in 2020 with the endorsement of then-President John Magufuli, has grown increasingly popular and is now seen as an outspoken critic of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Hassan, who assumed office after Magufuli’s death, is seeking election in October and has faced accusations of silencing critics, with several opposition leaders arrested in recent months.
Although President Hassan initially adopted a reconciliatory tone—lifting a six-year ban on political rallies imposed by her predecessor—she has recently warned foreign activists against interfering in Tanzania’s internal affairs, particularly regarding the opposition leader’s court case. Some activists were deported to Kenya upon arrival, with Tanzanian authorities providing no explanation for the expulsions.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have called on Tanzania to investigate allegations of human rights abuses against the activists.
