Chadema’s Esther Matiko defects to CCM, joins race for Tarime Urban MP seat
What you need to know:
- She said her decision to leave Chadema and return to mainstream politics through CCM was driven by her commitment to contribute meaningfully to the development of Tarime.
Tarime. Former Special Seats MP Ester Matiko has officially joined Tanzania’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), and collected nomination forms to contest the Tarime Urban parliamentary seat ahead of the October 2025 General Election.
Matiko, who represented Tarime Urban from 2015 to 2020 under Chadema, made the announcement on Sunday, June 29, 2025, during a press briefing in Tarime Town.
She said her decision to leave Chadema and return to mainstream politics through CCM was driven by her commitment to contribute meaningfully to the development of Tarime.
“This decision was not made out of anger or personal interest. I reflected deeply and chose to join CCM to be part of the solution to the challenges facing the people of Tarime,” Matiko said.
She described her new political path as a journey of hope, unity and transformation, and praised President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership and commitment to national development.
“Despite taking the reins of leadership under difficult circumstances, President Hassan has remained steadfast in pushing the national development agenda. Her R4 initiatives inspired me to join forces with her to achieve the vision of a prosperous Tanzania,” Matiko said.
She also cited CCM’s 2025–2030 election manifesto as one of the reasons for her defection, noting its strong emphasis on improving social services and economic opportunities for ordinary citizens.
Matiko urged Tarime residents and Tanzanians at large to support her political comeback, promising to champion development initiatives if elected.
The Tarime Urban constituency is currently represented by Michael Kembaki, who won the seat in the 2020 election.
As of Saturday evening, four other CCM aspirants— all male—had collected nomination forms to contest in the party’s internal vetting process for the Tarime Urban seat.
