Tanzania’s police have launched an investigation into reports that former ambassador-turned-government critic, Humphrey Polepole, was kidnapped from his residence, following claims by his family that he was forcibly taken from his home.
Over the past year, several critics of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, who is seeking re-election on October 29, have reportedly gone missing, prompting opposition parties to accuse the government of orchestrating a series of politically motivated abductions.
Polepole, who resigned as Tanzania’s ambassador to Cuba in July, has since become a vocal critic of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party. His brother, Godfrey Polepole, told Reuters that Humphrey disappeared early Monday morning, October 6, 2o25, from his home in Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
“The main door entering the house was broken and the door to the bedroom was broken as well,” he said. “There was a lot of blood from the sitting room all the way to the bedroom, and the bloodstains continued even outside toward the gate area.”
President Hassan, who initially earned international praise in 2021 for easing the political repression that marked her predecessor’s rule, ordered an investigation last year into the alleged abductions of political figures. However, no official findings from that probe have been released to date.
Government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa did not immediately respond to calls or text messages seeking comment.
In a September 29 statement, the government dismissed Human Rights Watch’s allegations that it was cracking down on political critics ahead of the election. It described the reports of abductions as “a major source of concern for the government.”
Police spokesperson David Misime confirmed that the force had begun investigating the case.
“The Police Force has seen the reports being circulated on social media by his relatives that he has been kidnapped. We have already begun working … to ascertain the truth,” Misime said in a statement late on Monday.
Since stepping down as ambassador, Polepole has held a series of online press briefings, sharply criticizing the CCM for alleged corruption, the violation of party rules in nominating President Hassan as its presidential candidate, and for what he described as the abduction of government critics.
Meanwhile, President Hassan’s administration continues to face international scrutiny over human rights concerns, including the April arrest of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Lissu’s treason trial began on Monday, with prosecutors alleging that he incited the public to rebel through a political speech. He has pleaded not guilty, calling the charges politically motivated.
