Tanzania National Assembly Speaker Zungu cracks down on absentee lawmakers

Mr Zungu, who is also the CCM legislator for Ilala Constituency, issued the directive in Parliament on Friday, June 5, 2026, instructing Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Baraka Leonard, to write to MPs who travelled to Morocco and require them to provide explanations within four days.

Several MPs and ministers were reportedly seen in Morocco, where they had travelled to watch Tanzania’s Under-17 national football team, the Serengeti Boys, take on Senegal in the final.

The match was played on the night of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat, with Senegal emerging 4-3 winners on penalties after the game ended 1-1 in official regulation time.

Reports, however, indicate that some MPs and ministers were seen outside the stadium during the match, suggesting they may not have travelled solely to watch the final and could have been engaged in other activities.

Speaking after Question and Answers session, Speaker Zungu said absenteeism in Parliament had become widespread.

“Clerk, I direct you to immediately write letters to MPs who travelled to Morocco without the Speaker’s permission and require them to explain themselves. Their responses must reach us within four days from today,” said Mr Zungu.

The Speaker said absenteeism had taken various forms, including MPs asking colleagues to sign attendance registers on their behalf to create the impression that they had attended parliamentary sittings when they had not.

“A practice has recently emerged whereby an MP does not come to Parliament but asks another MP to sign for them. This is unacceptable. From now on, we will closely monitor this because we have a system capable of identifying who was absent and who signed on their behalf. Both individuals will be held accountable,” he said.

Mr Zungu also revealed that some MPs seek permission from his office to travel to their constituencies but instead leave the country, a practice he described as dangerous.

He said Parliament has a monitoring system capable of determining whether an MP is in their constituency or outside the country and can even identify the country where they are located, regardless of whether their phone is switched off.

The Speaker called on the Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Ms Angellah Kairuki, to assist in addressing the matter, saying all travel must comply with established procedures and regulations.

He said it was embarrassing for Parliament and disappointing for voters when their representatives fail to attend parliamentary proceedings without valid reasons, noting that some MPs remain absent despite being in Dodoma.

“But ministers are also leaving together. I know they have permission, but Prime Minister, these officials should not all be granted travel permits at the same time. If the minister leaves, the deputy minister should remain in Parliament. They should not both be absent,” said Mr Zungu.

Before the Speaker made the remarks, Dr Mwigulu, while responding to a question, had instructed MPs and ministers to ensure they are present on June 11, 2026, when the government presents its 2026/27 budget.

Stakeholders weigh in

The Citizen’s sister newspaper, Mwananchi, spoke to various stakeholders regarding the concerns raised by Mr Zungu over absenteeism in Parliament.

Former MP, Ms Ferister Njawu said it was shameful for legislators who sought office from voters to be labelled absent and fail to attend parliamentary sessions.

Ms Njawu acknowledged that absenteeism among MPs is not a new phenomenon but stressed that anyone genuinely committed to representing constituents and raising their concerns must consistently participate in parliamentary proceedings.

“Regarding the Morocco trip, I think they also made a mistake, although perhaps the decision was driven by excitement over watching the young players. However, I do not agree with the practice mentioned by the Speaker, where people seek permission to travel to their constituencies, but instead leave the country. What would happen if something happened to them while abroad?” she asked.

Lawyer Godfrey Wasonga said the problem stems from weaknesses in parliamentary rules, which he argued do not provide the Speaker with sufficient authority to make decisive rulings while strengthening one side and limiting the other.

Mr Wasonga said the Parliamentary Standing Orders and the Constitution should grant citizens broader powers to hold absentee MPs accountable rather than leaving such matters solely in the hands of political parties.

A parliamentary staff member who requested anonymity said Rule 167 of the National Assembly Standing Orders outlines the conditions under which MPs may be granted permission to travel or remain away from Parliament.

“In subsection five of that rule, it is stated that, for the purposes of subsection four, permission shall be granted through parliamentary offices in Dodoma, Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar,” the official said.

Subsection four states that any MP unable to attend parliamentary sittings or committee meetings for specific reasons must obtain permission from the Speaker, while subsection three provides that any MP who misses half of a session’s sittings without valid reasons shall receive a warning.

However, the official said that, based on his experience dating back to the Ninth Parliament under former Speaker Samuel Sitta, the current 13th Parliament has recorded the highest levels of absenteeism despite still being in the early stages of its tenure.