Tanzanian politician survives assassination attempt after gunmen spray bullets into his car

Dar es Salaam. A Tanzanian politician and Member of Parliament for Simanjiro, Christopher Ole Sendeka, has survived death after being attacked by unknown gunmen.

Ole Sendeka, a member of the ruling political party CCM, was attacked by unknown assailants who shot multiple bullets at his car, with him and his driver inside the vehicle during the assassination attempt.  

Speaking after the incident, the Acting Regional Police Commander for Manyara, Lucas Mwakatundu, said the incident occurred on Friday evening, March 29, 2024, in the Ndaleta area of Kiteto District while Ole Sendeka and his driver were heading to his constituency in Simanjiro.

Speaking over the phone, Sendeka confirmed, "It is true I was attacked with bullets around 7 pm in Kiteto District between Ngabolo and Ndedo villages. There was a car following us from behind; we slowed down to let them pass on the right side. When they were right next to us, they started shooting at the driver, and then they drove ahead and began shooting at us from the front. We made a turn, and I fired some shots in the air to scare them before we managed to turn and leave," recounted Ole Sendeka.

"They had both large and small weapons; neither my driver nor I were injured; only the car was damaged as they shot at it multiple times. We haven't counted the bullets yet since we arrived here in the dark, but there are around four or five visible bullet holes on the car," he added.

"As for why I was attacked, I still don't know and cannot say anything definitive at this time. It's also not easy to identify the perpetrators in such situations," Ole-Sendeka concluded.

The police force is investigating the matter. However, no one has been arrested yet in connection with the crime. 

Ole Sendeka and his driver were questioned by police following the attempt on their lives.

This is the second assassination attempt on a politician in Tanzania in nearly 8 years after opposition member Tundu Lissu was shot 16 times in a 2017 attack in the capital Dodoma, which he believes was politically motivated. Lissu survived but required almost 20 surgeries. No one has been arrested in connection with this crime.

Ole-Sendeka has held various roles within the ruling party and in public service. He was once CCM's spokesperson and Njombe's Regional Commissioner.