Tanzania General Elections 2025: Executives are quitting plum jobs to seek Parliamentary seats

Being a member of parliament in Tanzania is a lucrative, plum and prestigious position.

Top executives holding envious positions in the country are therefore quitting their well-paying jobs en-masse to vie for constituency seats in the National Assembly.

It is one big risk, but they are all willing to take it against all odds.

So far five regional commissioners have stepped down from their positions in government to join politics but are essentially aiming at seeking nominations to run for parliament in the forthcoming general election in October 2025.

The former Regional Commissioners who are gearing for the National Assembly include Peter Serukamba of Iringa, Daniel Chongolo in Songwe, Juma Homera at Mbeya, Thobias Andengenye from Kigoma and Paul Makonda the former governor for Arusha.

This is the second stint for Makonda who five years ago also quit his position as Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner in 2020 to run for Parliament in the Kigamboni constituency but was voted down during the CCM primaries.

​Makonda is hoping that this ​second time around when he seeks nomination as the CCM parliamentary candidate for Arusha Urban constituency in a bid to unseat the incumbent legislator and recently his arch enemy Mrisho Gambo​, fate will smile upon him.

Some of the former Regional Commissioners, Makonda included, are tipped to possibly land key cabinet positions once elected and if their party manages to form the next government.

At least two permanent secretaries (PSs) and several district commissioners (DCs) are intending to join the parliamentary race for the 2025 General Elections.

Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries and Christina Mndeme, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Vice President’s Office (Environment) are among civil servants who have quit their positions in government to run for Parliament.

The Director General of the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC), Masanja Kadogosa, has also stepped down to seek nomination from CCM to run for a parliamentary seat.

Kadogosa is seen as a potential cabinet pick in November if he wins a parliamentary seat in the next elections.

Members and officials of the main opposition party, the Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) are currently chanting the ‘No Reforms, No Elections,’ motto.

That means CHADEMA may not run for any seat and therefore making it an easy run for the ruling party candidates.