Mohamed Ali Kibao: Missing Tanzania Opposition Leader Found Killed, Acid Poured On His Face

• Mohamed Ali Kibao, a key member of Tanzania's opposition CHADEMA party, was abducted and murdered; his body was found outside Dar es Salaam
• Kibao was forcibly taken from a bus by armed men, who were aided by another person posing as a passenger
• The opposition leader was brutally beaten and had acid poured on his face, according to a preliminary post-mortem
• President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered an investigation into the murder and expressed condolences to Kibao’s family and CHADEMA party

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Dar es Salaam - Tanzania is reeling from the shocking murder of Mohamed Ali Kibao, a key member of the opposition CHADEMA party’s secretariat.

Kibao's body was discovered on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam after he was abducted from a bus by two armed men while en route to Tanga.

The gruesome discovery revealed that Kibao had been brutally beaten and had acid poured on his face, according to CHADEMA chairman Freeman Mbowe.

A preliminary post-mortem confirmed these findings, with a full autopsy report expected to be completed.

"The 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. We cannot allow our people to continue disappearing or being killed like this," Mbowe said.

How was Kibao abducted?

A report by The Citizen detailed that CHADEMA Secretary General John Mnyika said the abduction occurred when the bus Kibao was travelling in was stopped by two unmarked vehicles.

He revealed that armed individuals exited these vehicles, with one instructing the bus driver to remain stationary while two others boarded the bus and directly abducted Kibao.

Another individual, who had been posing as a passenger, joined the abductors and handcuffed the opposition leader.

"The bus was stopped by two unmarked vehicles. Individuals armed with guns exited the vehicles. One of them instructed the bus driver not to move, while two others boarded the bus. They went directly to where Mr Kibao was seated and forcibly took him," detailed Mnyika.

In response to the heinous act, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered an immediate investigation, reiterating her government’s intolerance of such brutality.

"It is with great sadness that I have received the news of the murder of CHADEMA leader Mohamed Ali Kibao. I extend my condolences to the party leaders, Kibao’s family, relatives, friends, and all who knew him," Suluhu wrote on X.

Artist jailed for burning Suluhu's portrait

In a separate incident, Tanzanian artist Shadrack Chaula was sentenced to two years in prison for insulting Suluhu and burning her portrait.

Chaula admitted guilt for his actions, which included sharing videos on TikTok containing false information, which was deemed cyber-harassment and incitement.

Following his sentencing, supporters raised funds to pay a fine of KSh 254,640, enabling his lawyers to secure his release and appeal the sentence.

Chaula's legal team said they would appeal to clear his criminal record and protect his future aspirations in the art community, both locally and internationally.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke