Banking & Finance
Tundu Lissu: Tanzania’s Fearless Voice of Change
Tundu Lissu’s political activism took root during his university years in the early 1990s, laying the foundation for a career that would significantly influence Tanzania’s political landscape. He studied law at the University of Dar es Salaam before pursuing a master’s degree in the UK. In 1995, at the age of 27, he made his first attempt at national politics by contesting a parliamentary seat during Tanzania’s inaugural multiparty elections, which marked his entry into opposition politics despite his defeat.
Tundu Lissu’s defiance of state repression makes him the face of Tanzania’s democracy movement ahead of the 2025 presidential elections.
Who Is Tundu Lissu? Tanzania’s Opposition Leader Fighting for Democracy
Tundu Lissu has become the most prominent face of political opposition in Tanzania, following decades of defiance, legal activism, and an unwavering commitment to democratic freedoms. Since entering politics in the 1990s, Lissu has consistently challenged the ruling elite, exposed government corruption, and demanded accountability—even at great personal risk.
In September 2024, a London tribunal revealed that telecommunications giant Tigo allegedly shared Lissu’s phone location data with Tanzanian authorities, raising fears the company was complicit in state surveillance. Tigo’s parent company has denied the allegations, but the timing coincides with an ongoing government crackdown on opposition leaders.
Tensions escalated when Lissu and Freeman Mbowe, chairman of the main opposition party Chadema (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo), were arrested in September 2024 after planning mass protests. The rallies, which were quashed by police, aimed to hold the government accountable for the killing of a senior Chadema official and the disappearance of other members, reportedly abducted by state agents.
Lissu’s political journey began during his university days in the early 1990s. After studying law at the University of Dar es Salaam and obtaining a master’s degree in the UK, he ran for parliament in 1995—Tanzania’s first multiparty election.
Though he lost, his activism gained traction. In 1996, he and fellow lawyer Rugemeleza Nshala investigated killings and mass evictions at a World Bank-funded gold mine. Their work led to sedition charges, later dropped.
Lissu later joined the World Resources Institute, focusing on community land rights, before returning to politics with a successful bid in 2010 for the Singida East parliamentary seat.
In Parliament, Lissu led investigations into grand corruption, especially in the energy sector. He became a key proponent of constitutional reforms, calling for limits on presidential powers and a more balanced union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
These efforts prompted a constitutional review under President Jakaya Kikwete, culminating in a “people’s draft”. But the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party blocked major reforms, and a 2014 referendum was shelved before the 2015 elections.
Re-elected in 2015, Lissu became one of President John Magufuli’s fiercest critics. He openly denounced Magufuli’s economic policies and abuse of executive power. In 2017, shortly after Magufuli admitted to tapping Lissu’s phone, Lissu was shot 16 times outside Parliament in Dodoma.
He survived and went into exile in Belgium, where he published Remaining in the Shadows: Parliament and Accountability in East Africa, critiquing authoritarianism in the region.
Lissu returned briefly in 2020 to run for president, facing arrests and intimidation. After losing to Magufuli in a disputed election, he went back into exile, returning again in 2023.
Since Magufuli’s death in March 2021, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has introduced reforms, but Chadema still faces hurdles. Lissu’s unwavering stance makes him a likely presidential candidate in 2025.
President Samia has referred to him as a “troublesome character”, signalling continued friction between government and opposition.
With local government elections set for November 2024, followed by the 2025 general elections, the stakes are high. Chadema’s increasing popularity—led by Lissu’s bold presence—poses a serious threat to CCM’s six-decade rule.
But repression continues. Observers fear a return to state violence, vote-rigging, and opposition suppression reminiscent of the 2020 elections.
“Lissu’s fearlessness and moral clarity are unmatched,” said a Tanzanian political analyst. “He embodies the very spirit of democracy in East Africa.”
