A Nation’s Hope Rekindled: Tanzania’s Renewed Quest for a New Constitution
By Adonis Byemelwa
Dar es Salaam—Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi has thrust Tanzania’s long-stalled constitutional debate back to the centre of national politics after calling on citizens to push for adoption of the new constitution before the 2030 General Election, a call that has exposed competing visions within the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) on how political reforms should proceed.
Speaking at the annual conference of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) in Dar es Salaam on July 24, Dr Nchimbi said that the existence of a widely approved constitution will lay the ground for addressing many of the governance, justice and democratic concerns facing the country.
Instead of trying to accomplish many reforms individually, he said, the country should set one large goal: to replace the existing constitutional framework with one based on broad national consensus. “If I had one thing to tell Tanzanians, it would be to fight for a new constitution,” Dr Nchimbi said, describing constitutional reform as the best way to address long-standing institutional weaknesses. He said a new supreme law will automatically cause discordant legislation to be reconsidered, establishing a more unified legal and governance framework.
The Vice President further said that President Samia Suluhu Hassan has the political will to complete the constitutional process. He remembered that when he was acting as CCM Secretary-General during preparations for the party’s 2025 election manifesto, he asked the President for a commitment after consultations showed that constitutional reform was still a prominent priority among the population. Dr Nchimbi said the President informed the party leaders that the promise would be implemented.
His comments came during a renewed government commitment to constitutional reform. In their 2025 election campaign, CCM promised to launch the constitutional review process within its first 100 days in office.
President Samia said the government would start reconciliation efforts and constitutional reforms after receiving suggestions from the commission that was appointed to study the disruptions surrounding the October and November 2025 elections following the post-election political crisis.
Dr Nchimbi concurred with the reported commission’s proposal that a new constitution be finished in time for the 2029 civic elections and the 2030 General Election. He appealed to CCM members, opposition parties and civil society organisations equally, saying constitutional reform should not be a partisan endeavour, but an investment in future generations.
His remarks suddenly turned a matter that had mostly been a political negotiation into the country’s main public debate. It also attracted attention since such a stark public appeal came from the country’s second-highest officeholder and a senior official in the ruling party, raising renewed scrutiny of how constitutional reform is being handled inside the administration.
While many applauded the Vice President’s support for constitutional reform, reactions reflected broad pessimism about the translation of political intentions into tangible action.
In interviews with Tanzanian media, some residents said that real constitutional reform would require a political atmosphere in which people could freely voice differing perspectives without fear of intimidation or legal penalties.
Others questioned if the current civic space was open enough to allow for an inclusive constitutional process. Recent arrests of activists and opposition politicians on terrorism-related accusations have raised worries among human rights organisations, but the administration insists the prosecutions are under the law and unrelated to lawful political engagement.
The constitutional issue has also been part of broader discussions on political reconciliation. National unity remains a priority after the tensions that followed the 2025 elections, government officials have said repeatedly, while opposition parties and civil society organisations continue to argue that accountability, expanded political freedoms and institutional reforms are necessary for durable reconciliation.
Dr Nchimbi addressed those issues head-on, appealing for a Tanzania where political differences do not dilute national identity. Ideological, religious and political differences must live in a community that is ruled by justice, mutual respect and equal citizenship, he added, defining justice as the vital foundation for lasting peace.
His reference to activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai in particular drew attention. Dr Nchimbi said he hoped Tanzania would be a country where government leaders and critics could address national concerns without antagonism, recalling that they attended the same church as children.
The comments were largely seen as a call for more engagement between the state and civil society in a period of heightened political divisiveness.
Ms Sarungi appreciated the Vice President’s acknowledgement of the need for justice and constitutional reform, but argued reconciliation would never be complete without responsibility for alleged crimes tied to the 2025 political crisis.
She also reinforced calls for more transparency about unresolved reports of killings, disappearances and detention of opposition figures. The government has often said that the legal processes involving criminal investigations are in the courts and need to be allowed to run their course.
Another notable activist, Mange Kimambi, questioned whether Dr Nchimbi’s participation was a true change of heart within CCM or an attempt to restore public faith in the ruling party. She said his wording contrasted sharply with prior official remarks, but that many Tanzanians will measure reform initiatives by the deeds of the next government, not political words.
The intervention of the Vice President was also significant for the opposition. Chadema Vice-Chairperson John Heche said Dr Nchimbi’s call for citizens to continue fighting for constitutional revision was a sign that there were still impediments despite repeated assurances from senior officials that the initiative had executive backing.
Government officials have not stated publicly any of the institutional obstacles to implementing the constitutional deadline laid out in the ruling party’s manifesto.
Political observers say the statement is even more significant because it came amid heightened debate on succession politics ahead of the 2030 election cycle. President Samia is committed to delivering the present government’s agenda, but debate has increasingly shifted to the future course of CCM once her constitutional tenure ends.
Within days following the speech, the constitutional argument had disintegrated into a wider discussion on political succession and party discipline. Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports Paul Makonda warned those eyeing the presidency in 2030 without mentioning Dr Nchimbi by name, a remark widely interpreted by political commentators and local media as a response to the Vice President’s intervention. Makonda did not specify who he was referring to, allowing space for competing interpretations.
Political observers read the comments by Information Minister Paul Makonda, advising against premature positioning for the presidency in 2030, as a reaction to the constitutional appeal by Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi, and political attention turned to the internal politics of the ruling party.
However, the absence of Makonda and several other CCM heavyweights during Nchimbi’s tour of AFCON 2027 infrastructure in Arusha raised the volume of rumours of internal discord, although the government and the party have not linked the absences to political rifts.
Senior CCM leaders swiftly defended the party’s official position on constitutional reform. UVCCM Chairman Mohammed Ali Kawaida cautioned leaders against using the constitutional debate to pursue personal popularity, insisting reforms should be driven by collective party decisions rather than individual political messaging. He maintained that the 2025 CCM election manifesto already commits the government to delivering a new constitution before 2030 through established institutions.
Similarly, CCM Parents’ Wing Chairman Rajabu Maganya said the party had not abandoned the constitutional agenda and urged supporters to respect the agreed timetable. President Samia Suluhu Hassan later reaffirmed that constitutional reform and national reconciliation remain government priorities but stressed that the process would proceed through lawful, inclusive and consultative mechanisms involving political stakeholders.
Constitutional scholars argue that any renewed process must address unresolved issues surrounding the 2014 draft constitution while securing broad public participation and political consensus. The Commonwealth has also encouraged inclusive dialogue before the 2030 General Election.
