Tanzania's Prominent Government Critic Humphrey Polepole Vanishes After Been Abducted

A prominent government critic in Tanzania, Humphrey Polepole (55), has vanished without trace after violently been abducted from his home in Dar es Salaam on the night of October 6, 2025. That was reported by some African media on October 7, 2025.

Tanzania's prominent government critic Humphrey Polepole vanishes after been abducted

Reportedly, according to a special petition filed to the Tanzania's High Court Registry in Dar es Salaam on October 7, 2025, by Mr Humphrey Polepole's attorneys, that requested urgent court order for their client to be brought before the court, Mr Humphrey Polepole was abducted by some people suspected to be state security officers.

At the same time, a relative of Mr Humphrey Polepole, who is said to have reported the abduction, observed that when he found him missing in his house, the main door was smashed, with blood on it as well as on the floor and walls, hence indicating violent abduction.

Mr Humphrey Polepole was formerly a high ranking politician in the ruling party CCM. He was appointed Tanzania's ambassador to Malawi in 2022, before becoming Tanzania's ambassador to Cuba in 2023. However, in July 2025, he suddenly quitted the ambassadorial position reportedly citing loss of faith, among other reasons, in the current government of Tanzania. More specifically, he is said to have expressed his discontent with the government of Tanzania, saying that he could not continue being part of a government that disrespects justice, rule of law, and constitutional principles.

Even some days before his abduction and disappearance, the ruling CCM politician turned fierce government critic, is said to have outlined repression, corruption, smuggling, banditry, theft, and gang-like crime as the core features of the current government, and that have no place in Tanzania.

Mr Humphrey Polepole's outlined features of the current government of Tanzania are reiterated in a speech by a Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces (TPDF alias JWTZ) captain, namely Captain Tesha, that he delivered in a video that was shared on YouTube and went viral about 3 days ago. In the video, the fearless, brave, and confident Captain Tesha gives some powerful and relevant views in Swahili about the prevailing appalling political situation in Tanzania, and the role JWTZ can play to rectify the situation.

Take a listen at the extraordinary utterance by the popular captain who has reportedly been described and applauded in many quarters in Tanzania, as a true national patriot, and defender of justice and human rights, at the link below. (Translate if you don't speak Swahili).

Captain Tesha

The abduction and vanishing of Humphrey Polepole comes just weeks before Tanzania's most controversial and probably sham general elections since the country embraced multipartyism in the 1990s, with the presidential nominees for the country's 1st and 2nd largest opposition parties barred from the elections.

Tanzania's 2025 General Elections will be held on October 29, 2025.

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