Chadema confirms Lissu’s transfer to Ukonga Prison

Dar es Salaam. The opposition party Chadema has confirmed the transfer of its national chairman, Mr Tundu Lissu, to Ukonga Prison, bringing an end to hours of speculation about his whereabouts.

The announcement was made on Saturday, April 19, 2025, following a meeting between senior opposition leaders and the Tanzania Prisons Service.

In a public statement, signed by the party’s Communications and Publicity Director, Ms Brenda Rupia, the party informed members and the general public that the outspoken politician had been transferred from Keko Prison, where he had been detained, to Ukonga Prison.

“His family and supporters can visit him by following the standard procedures for inmate visits at the facility,” the statement read.

“This follows a meeting with the leadership of the Tanzania Prisons Service, during which we were officially briefed on the situation,” it added.

The party also announced that its Vice-Chairman for Mainland Tanzania, Mr John Heche, will visit Ukonga Prison today, Saturday, April 19, 2025, to meet Mr Lissu and to assess his condition.

Mr Lissu’s transfer to Ukonga Prison marks a significant development in the ongoing political and legal situation surrounding the senior opposition leader.

His supporters, who had been deeply concerned about his health and location, are now reassured to know where he is being held.

Chadema reiterated its commitment to ensuring that Mr Lissu’s rights are respected and that he receives the necessary support during his detention.

Mr Lissu, the runner-up in the country's 2020 presidential election, was charged with treason last week over what prosecutors said was a speech calling on the public to launch a rebellion and disrupt the election. He was not allowed to enter a plea on the treason charge.

Last weekend, the election commission said Chadema would be disqualified from elections due in October over its refusal to sign a code of conduct, as it demands electoral reforms.