Doyo reveals pain that ignited his bid for country’s top office

“They bundled her into a car with only one piece of clothing,” Mr Doyo says quietly. “I watched helplessly. That pain of seeing my mother humiliated simply because she could not afford to pay left a scar.

From that day, I made a decision that one day, I must be a leader who will end the humiliation of women in this country.” It is this memory, he insists, that became the cornerstone of his political journey — a journey that has spanned three decades and multiple parties in Tanzania’s turbulent opposition politics.

Today, as Secretary General of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Mr Doyo has set his sights on the highest office in the land: the presidency.

Born on January 1, 1974 in Misima village, Mr Doyo is the seventh of 12 children of Mohamed Doyo, a respected local leader and long-serving CCM member.

His father and elder brother Zacharia both held leadership positions in Misima, yet he insists his entry into politics was not inspired by family legacy but by personal conviction.

“I didn’t join politics because my father or brother were leaders,” he explains. “I joined because of what I saw my mother go through. That moment made me believe the lives of ordinary people must change.”

He attended Misima Primary School and later Masjid Qubah Secondary School in Dar es Salaam, completing his O-Levels in 1991.

Though he did not pass through the conventional academic route, he pursued journalism at Dar es Salaam City College in 1998, a training that he credits with sharpening his ability to articulate issues and engage the public.

Three decades in opposition

Mr Doyo cut his political teeth as a young member of the Civic United Front (CUF) in 1996 at the age of 18. By 2000, he had risen to become CUF’s Handeni District chairman, a post he held for 17 years. He also served as a member of CUF’s National Executive Council until 2011 when internal disputes saw him expelled alongside others.

“Those were difficult years, but they were also a test of resilience,” he says. “We did not give up on politics because of setbacks. Instead, we decided to create our own path.”

That path was the Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC), where Mr Doyo served in multiple senior roles: Northern Zone Patron, Director of Information and Publicity, Deputy Secretary General, and eventually Secretary General from 2016 to 2024.

His rise reflected his reputation as a consensus builder and strategist within opposition ranks.

In September 2024, he joined the NLD. Within weeks, he was elected its Secretary General, cementing his place among the party’s top brass and setting the stage for his presidential candidacy.

For Mr Doyo, his decades in opposition are not just about political survival but about conviction.

“I am a politician who believes in reform and in the multiparty system as the engine of political awakening in this country,” he explains. “Tanzania cannot move forward if we do not give space for diverse voices, ideas, and innovations.”

He argues that his long years in opposition have given him a unique perspective on the struggles of ordinary Tanzanians. People, he says, often came to him with problems — from employment to education to healthcare — believing he could speak for them.

“That has been my biggest reward in politics,” he notes. “The trust of the people.”

Beyond politics, Mr Doyo is a successful businessman with ventures in mining and agriculture. He owns more than 54 mining sites across Tanzania, employing over 400 young people under four different companies. He is also a sisal and food crop farmer in Handeni.

“I have never had conflicts in my political or business life,” he says. “I have built hospitals, helped construct classrooms, and even supported communities to complete health facilities. My approach has always been to live well with others and give back where I can.”

The presidential drive

So why now? Why does Doyo want to be president?

First, he cites his constitutional right and age. In more than 45 years, he feels prepared for national leadership. But more importantly, he says, Tanzania is ready for bold solutions. “There are three issues I must tackle,” he declares.

“One is the high cost of living. Two is unemployment, which no government has successfully solved. And three is education, which today does not give Tanzanians the confidence to manage their own lives. I want to bring solutions to these.”

Among his flagship proposals is the establishment of a major research centre dedicated to artificial intelligence, a move he says will align Tanzania with global technological trends. This, he argues, will go hand in hand with creating an inclusive education system that equips students with skills to be self-reliant.

“Our manifesto says clearly — we will invest in AI and in education that empowers,” he insists. “We must stop exporting our problems and instead innovate at home.”

Family and personal life

Doyo is a family man with two wives and five children — two sons and three daughters. His family, he says, understands his political life and has fully embraced it.

“My children are studying well, my businesses continue to run, and politics has become part of our family life,” he says.

Doyo’s story is one of resilience, conviction, and a determination rooted in childhood pain. Whether or not his bid for the presidency will succeed, his candidacy underscores the persistence of opposition politics in Tanzania.

“I have lost only time and some resources in politics,” he reflects. “But I have gained the voice of the people. That is why I want to go further — to the presidency. Because only from there can I truly bring the change I have fought for all these years.”

For a man whose political life began with a mother’s humiliation, his ambition is personal as much as it is political. Doyo Hassan Doyo now seeks to turn that pain into a national promise: dignity, opportunity, and reform for every Tanzanian.