92 days on, family of Polepole vacates his rented home
Ms Annamary Polepole (second left) watches with heavy heart as relatives pack the belongings of her son, former ambassador Humphrey Polepole, at his Ununio residence in Dar es Salaam yesterday. The house was vacated 92 days after his reported abduction by unknown individuals, leaving behind bloodstains and a family still searching for answers. PHOTO/MICHAEL MATEMANGA
Dar es Salaam. Ninety-two days after former Tanzania ambassador to Cuba, Mr Humphrey Polepole, was allegedly abducted by unknown people, his family has visited the house he rented in Boko Basihaya, Dar es Salaam, to remove his belongings.
The family members gathered at the house yesterday to collect his property and hold special prayers for Mr Polepole, a former Ideology, Publicity and Training secretary of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), before speaking to the media.
Mr Polepole was reportedly abducted on the night of Monday, October 6, 2025, at his residence. The incident occurred a few months after he announced his resignation as Tanzania’s ambassador to Cuba on July 13, 2025.
On August 5, 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation said President Samia Suluhu Hassan had revoked Mr Polepole’s appointment and withdrawn his diplomatic status following information submitted by the Chief Secretary, Dr Moses Kusiluka.
Mwananchi witnessed the packing of belongings at the house, as Mr Polepole’s mother, Ms Annamary Polepole, supervised the exercise amid visible distress. Relatives were entering the house for the first time since it was sealed by police.
Inside, blood stains were visible in parts of the bedroom and the door to the room had been broken. Some family members cleaned the stains before preparing to hand the house back to the landlord.
Overcome with emotion, Ms Polepole pleaded for her son’s return, saying he was her main provider.
“They tell us to educate our children so they can support us, but today they are taken away and we are left struggling. I am asking for my son to be returned alive. If he has committed an offence, let him be charged,” she said.
She added that the family was removing the items because the house was rented and no one was left to pay the rent.
At the time, the house was covered in dust, while a fridge contained rotten food. The house also remains without electricity, with the prepaid power control reportedly among items seized by police during a search.
Lawyer Maduhu William of the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) said the family was removing the belongings because the tenancy agreement expires on January 11, 2026.
He said the family had to seek police permission to access the house, which had been restricted.
“As a lawyer, up to now Mr Polepole’s whereabouts remain unknown. We urge the government and all authorities to state where he is and in what condition, because Tanzania is governed by the rule of law,” Mr Maduhu said.
He stressed that under the law, a suspect must be arrested, investigated and charged in court, noting that no one has the authority to detain or harm another person outside the legal process.
Mr Polepole’s younger brother, Mr Godfrey Polepole, said several items were missing from the house, which the family believes were taken by police during a visit on October 7, 2025. “The safe, eight laptops, five mobile phones, a national ID card, a passport and documents from the car are missing. A motorcycle, an internet antenna and studio equipment were also taken,” he said.
Asked about the whereabouts of the items, Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Mr Jumanne Muliro said he needed time to follow up.
“This is the first time I am hearing this version. Give me time to verify,” he said.
Register to begin your journey to our premium contentSubscribe for full access to premium content
