Ally Kibao, a member of the main opposition Chadema party’s secretariat, has been found dead after being abducted from a bus by two armed men.
His body, discovered on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, while travelling to the north-eastern port city of Tanga, bore marks of a brutal beating, with acid poured on his face, according to his party.
“The (preliminary) post-mortem has been done and it is obvious that Ally Kibao has been killed after being severely beaten and even having acid poured on his face,” Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe told journalists late on Sunday, adding that a full autopsy report would be completed on Monday.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered an investigation into the assassination, stating that her government does not tolerate such brutal acts.
It is with great sadness that I received the news of the assassination of CHADEMA leader Mr. Mohamed Ali Kibao. I apologize to the leaders of the party, the family of Mzee Kibao, brothers, relatives and friends.
“I have ordered investigative agencies to bring me detailed information about this terrible incident and others like this as soon as possible.
“Our country is democratic, and every citizen has the right to live. The government I lead does not tolerate such brutal acts,” she wrote on X on Sunday.
However, Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe has called for a judicial commission to investigate, citing police involvement in the case.
The opposition party has been vocal about their concerns regarding the government’s handling of the situation.
Kibao’s death comes amidst a backdrop of continued arbitrary detentions, including the recent arrest of over 500 Chadema supporters.
While President Hassan has taken steps to ease restrictions on the media and opposition, rights groups say more needs to be done to address political violence and ensure democratic freedoms.