🧠 Intelligence Brief | Bishop Gwajima Breaks Silence: Internal Critique, Call for Reform, and Implications for Tanzania’s Political Landscape Ahead of 2025
Uausi Blog’s East Africa Monitoring Team | 17 JULY 2025 | 0045 BST
⚠️ Summary (BLUF – Bottom Line Up Front)
On 16 July 2025, Bishop Josephat Gwajima, Member of Parliament under the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and a prominent evangelical leader, held a 42-minute press conference that delivered a rare and direct critique of his own party’s conduct. While not aligning himself with the opposition or endorsing its slogans, Gwajima voiced concern over the current state of civil liberties, the rise of political fear, and the direction CCM is taking ahead of the 2025 elections.
He called on CCM to reflect, listen to national sentiment, and consider making modest reforms that would encourage opposition participation in the upcoming elections. He also warned against the growing climate of fear and silence—particularly among religious leaders—and underscored the role of conscience, not allegiance, in political service.
This intelligence brief evaluates the political and institutional implications of Gwajima’s address, the emerging signals within CCM, and the broader context as Tanzania approaches its next general election.