🇹🇿 Intelligence Brief | Divide-and-Rule Intensifies in Tanzania’s Religio-Politics — Gwajima Policed, Mwamposa Glorified, Mawinda Incites, Lissu Targeted

‘Prophet’ Boniface Mwamposa (left), President Samia Suluhu Hassan (centre), and Sheikh Mohamed Mawinda (right) pictured during the inauguration of the Arise and Shine Church on 5 July 2025. The event, attended by senior government figures, has drawn attention amid growing concerns over selective state endorsement of pro-government clerics and rising pressure on independent religious voices.

Ujasusi Blog’s East Africa Monitoring Team | 🗓️7 July 2025 | 🕜0145 BST

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🧭 Executive Summary

Tanzania's evolving political climate has introduced new complexities in the traditionally distinct relationship between state and religious institutions. Recent state-linked engagements with particular clerics—coupled with increased scrutiny on others—suggest that religious spaces are emerging as contested arenas in the broader political landscape.

The juxtaposition of events on 4–6 July 2025—namely, the state-endorsed inauguration of Prophet Boniface Mwamposa’s new church, and the police presence at Bishop Josephat Gwajima’s church the following day—indicates a potential recalibration in how religious actors are positioned within Tanzania’s political ecosystem.

The presence of senior state figures at Mwamposa’s event, including President Samia Suluhu Hassan and former President Jakaya Kikwete, alongside inflammatory remarks made by a pro-government Islamic cleric, Sheikh Mohamed Mawinda—calling for the execution of those who “disturb the peace” and directly quoting opposition figure Tundu Lissu—has raised questions about the emerging role of religious surrogates in shaping political narratives.