John Kitoka

#OCTOBER29: WHEN A NATION WEPT AND A STATE STOOD ALONE A Poem for Our MO29 Heroes and Heroines. BY JOHN ERNEST CHACHA KITOKA On October twenty-ninth, the earth remembers, The blood-soaked streets, the grief that lingers, The youthful dreams cut short in their prime, The stolen tomorrows, the silenced chime. Thousands of innocents, the majority young, Were silenced by bullets for daring to speak. They marched for their rights, for a future made fair, But death and terror were waiting there. And now, as the world bows its head in sorrow, Remembering lives denied their tomorrow, The Tanzanian State stands isolated and alone, A fortress of power on a cold, bloodied throne. Even the world has found words for its grief; Even a lowered flag has offered relief. The US Embassy lowered its flag at half-mast, A solemn tribute to lives lost too fast. Yet those who should mourn with their people in pain Cannot muster the courage to acknowledge their slain. Under Samia, the State turns away, As grieving Tanzanians remember this day. O mothers who weep, O fathers who mourn, O families whose futures were brutally torn, Your children are not forgotten, their sacrifice not vain; Their memory lives beyond denial and pain. No commission, no denial, no carefully spun lie Can erase the truth or teach memory to die. No flag can conceal what a nation has seen; No power can silence the cries of the slain. October twenty-ninth shall forever remain, A date etched in courage, in sorrow, in pain. Let history record what the powerful ignore: A nation demands justice, accountability and more. Rest in peace, children of Tanzania, rest. Your dreams were precious; your courage was blessed. Though your lives were stolen, your memory shall endure, Until justice is served and freedom is secure. NEVER FORGET OCTOBER 29, 2025. NEVER FORGET OUR MO29 HEROES AND HEROINES. NO JUSTICE, NO CLOSURE. NO TRUTH, NO PEACE. #Mo29 #JusticeAndAccountability #SamiaMustGo @MariaSTsehai @USAmbTanzania @ChademaTZ2 @ChademaDiaspora @HecheJohn @Pirlo60

The @commonwealthsec has disappointed. africa-confidential.com/arti…

Good news indeed in the fight to end HIV/AIDS. #HIV #AIDS @wizara_afyatz

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨: WABUNGE WA KIMATAIFA WAMWANDIKIA SAMIA, WATAKA HAKI ITENDEKE KWA TUNDU LISSU NA UHURU WA KISIASA ULINDWE TANZANIA Wabunge kutoka nchi mbalimbali duniani wamemwandikia Rais wa Tanzania, Dkt. Samia Suluhu Hassan, wakieleza wasiwasi wao mkubwa kuhusu kuzorota kwa uhuru wa kisiasa nchini Tanzania, kuendelea kushikiliwa kwa Mwenyekiti wa CHADEMA, Tundu Lissu, pamoja na kuongezeka kwa vikwazo dhidi ya vyama vya upinzani. Katika barua hiyo ya tarehe 2 Novemba 2026, wabunge hao wameeleza wasiwasi wao kuhusu uwezekano wa Lissu kuhukumiwa adhabu ya kifo katika kesi ya uhaini inayotarajiwa kutolewa hukumu tarehe 6 Novemba 2026. Wameitaka Serikali kuhakikisha kuwa haki yake ya kupata kesi ya haki inalindwa na kwamba adhabu ya kifo haitumiki kama chombo cha ukandamizaji wa kisiasa. Wamekumbusha kuwa Februari 2026, Kikundi Kazi cha Umoja wa Mataifa kuhusu Kukamatwa na Kushikiliwa Kiholela (UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention) kilihitimisha kuwa kuzuiliwa kwa Lissu ni kwa kiholela, kwa mujibu wa Maoni Na. 74/2025, na kutoa wito wa kuachiwa kwake mara moja. Aidha, wameeleza kuwa Julai 2026, Kundi la Mawaziri la Jumuiya ya Madola lilitaka suala la kuzuiliwa kwa Lissu kutatuliwa ndani ya siku 30, sambamba na kuachiliwa kwa wengine wanaoshikiliwa kwa sababu ya kutekeleza haki zao za kisiasa na kiraia. Wamesisitiza kuwa muda huo umepita bila mapendekezo hayo kutekelezwa, na kuitaka Tanzania kuheshimu wajibu wake kama mwanachama wa Jumuiya ya Madola. Wabunge hao pia wameonya kuhusu kuendelea kukamatwa na kuzuiliwa kwa wanasiasa na wanaharakati wa upinzani, pamoja na vitisho vya kuvipiga marufuku vyama vya kisiasa kwa kuvibandika jina la mashirika ya kigaidi. Wamesisitiza kuwa hali hiyo inahatarisha mustakabali wa demokrasia na ushiriki wa wananchi katika siasa nchini Tanzania. Katika barua hiyo, wameweka wazi kuwa kutofautiana kisiasa hakupaswi kuchukuliwa kuwa kosa la jinai, na kwamba hakuna chama cha siasa kinachopaswa kuhalalishwa kama cha kihalifu kwa kudai mageuzi ya uchaguzi au kushiriki katika upinzani wa amani. Vilevile, wameonya kuwa uhuru wa mahakama na mamlaka ya kitaifa haviwezi kutumika kama kinga dhidi ya uwajibikaji kwa ukiukwaji wa haki za binadamu. Wamesisitiza kuwa Tanzania ina wajibu wa kuheshimu mikataba na misingi ya kimataifa ambayo imekubali kuifuata. Wabunge hao wamehitimisha kwa kuitaka Serikali ya Tanzania kutoa dhamana na uhakikisho wa wazi kuhusu usalama na haki za Tundu Lissu, pamoja na kulinda uhuru wa kisiasa na haki za vyama vya upinzani kabla ya hukumu ya kesi yake kutolewa Novemba 6, 2026. Barua hiyo imesainiwa na Alicia Kearns, Mbunge wa Uingereza, ambaye ni Waziri Kivuli wa Usalama wa Taifa, Ulinzi na Mambo ya Nje katika Baraza la Wawakilishi la Uingereza (House of Commons).

"Can your people protest without being shot, if not you're failing them..." Thanks @aliciakearns for laying bare the true meaning of democracy, rule of law and good governance as it should apply in today'sTanzania. And thanks for standing in solidarity with the people of Tanzania @HecheJohn @BrendaRupia @MariaSTsehai @UKinTanzania @davidmcallister @EUparliament @10DowningStreet @andyburnham @KemiBadenoch

A timely and courageous intervention by UK MP @aliciakearns and fellow parliamentarians. Thank you for standing up for Tundu Lissu and the people of Tanzania. Political dissent is not a crime, and the call for democratic reforms must never be criminalised. Tanzania needs justice, accountability and democracy, not political persecution. #FreeTunduLissu #JusticeAndAccountability @HecheJohn @UKinTanzania @HouseofCommons @andyburnham @MariaSTsehai @10DowningStreet @ChademaTZ2 @ChademaDiaspora @EUparliament @davidmcallister

Senior Counsel @MarthaKarua In the case of Twaha Mwaipaya's Habeas Corpus Hearing at the High Court of Kenya today. The case has been adjourned till tomorrow, Tuesday November 3. #FreeTwahaMwaipaya #JusticeForTwaha #RuleOfLaw @WGEID @ChademaTZ2 @HecheJohn

UPDATE ON MWAIPAYA'S HABEAS CORPUS HEARING: The Court has adjourned the hearing until tomorrow, with the Judge directing the Respondents to appear in person. #FreeTwahaMwaiapaya @WGEID @HecheJohn @ChademaTZ2 @ChademaDiaspora @ohchr @UNHumanRights @UN_HRC @TanganyikaLaw @humanrightstz @jumuiya @WilliamsRuto @PoliceKE