Dar es Salaam. Wilson Elias Mulumbe, the Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC) presidential candidate in the United Republic of Tanzania, has carved a political journey unlike any other.
With the 2025 General Election fast approaching, his story is both unusual and compelling.
Every account about Mr Mulumbe traces back to the 2015 General Election, when his ambitions first intersected with the country’s politics unexpectedly. That year, Mr Mulumbe prepared to contest the Tanga Urban parliamentary seat under ACT-Wazalendo.
As the campaign season unfolded, his close friend, Mr John Mapuri, who had studied in the United States, also showed interest in the race.
According to Mr Mulumbe, his friend was better positioned to secure the seat. He not only enjoyed stronger financial muscle but also had key resources, including vehicles that were crucial for a successful campaign.
From his own assessment, Mr Mulumbe decided it was wiser for Mr Mapuri to run for parliament while he settled for a ward-level contest.
He therefore prepared to vie for the Duga Ward seat in Tanga Urban District, and at the same time volunteered to help Mr Mapuri secure the ACT-Wazalendo parliamentary ticket.
He believed the two would form a formidable team if Mr Mapuri entered the ring as their trump card.
But the plan unravelled. ACT-Wazalendo nominated another candidate, leaving out Mr Mapuri.
Mr Mulumbe, angered and disappointed, deemed the decision unfair. In protest, he abandoned ACT-Wazalendo and crossed over to Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
Though he did not contest under CCM, he campaigned vigorously for the ruling party and contributed to its victory in Tanga.
Life abroad and renewed conviction
After the election, Mr Mulumbe travelled to China for business, where he lived for a year before moving to Lesotho and later to Zimbabwe and Botswana.
In Southern Africa, he pursued various business ventures, all the while nurturing his political dream.
Although abroad, Mr Mulumbe remained convinced that one day Tanzanians would entrust him with leadership.
His motivation, he says, stemmed from his understanding of the Constitution, his grasp of the nation’s pressing needs, and his empathy for the struggles of ordinary citizens.
Exposure to diverse political and economic systems across Africa strengthened his conviction that, if allowed to lead, he could steer Tanzania towards economic transformation and sustainable development.
That conviction eventually translated into his 2025 presidential bid. ADC welcomed him, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cleared his candidacy. The challenge now lies with him and the electorate.
Political transitions and presidential ambition
By the 2020 General Election, Mr Mulumbe had returned home. He updated his details in the Permanent Voter Register and voted on October 28, fulfilling his civic duty.
On that very day, he pledged that in the next general election, he would himself be on the ballot. Today, that vow has materialised.
In April 2024, he visited the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) headquarters, where Secretary-General Yustas Rwamugira welcomed him and handed him a membership card.
Mr Mulumbe quickly built influence in TLP, winning support among both youth and senior leaders. Yet his relationship with TLP soured.
He grew frustrated with what he described as a biased nomination process, alleging favouritism towards one contender and claiming that fake delegates had been planted at the June 27, 2025, General Assembly. Disenchanted with the outcome, he resigned from the party.
Afterwards, Mr Mulumbe surveyed the political landscape and discovered that only four parties had yet to complete their presidential nominations.
He turned to ADC, where he received a warm reception. At the ADC General Assembly of July 27, 2025, held at Ubungo Plaza in Dar es Salaam, Mr Mulumbe secured the party’s endorsement as its presidential flag-bearer.
Who is Wilson Elias Mulumbe?
Wilson was born on August 31, 1984, at Handeni District Hospital in Tanga. He is the second-born among four children of Elias Mulumbe, who was then Handeni District Natural Resources Officer, and his wife, Ruth Kimbute.
In 1992, he enrolled at Mwakizaro Primary School in Tanga Urban, completing his studies in 1998 with good results.
Initially selected for Maramba Secondary School in Mkinga District, he chose, under his parents’ guidance, to attend Victory Seminary Secondary School, later transferring to Eckernforde Secondary in Tanga Urban, where he completed Forms Two to Four in 2002.
Even before sitting for his O-level exams, Mr Mulumbe had ventured into business.
With start-up capital from his parents, he began transporting fish from Tanga to Arusha. He sustained the trade for three years before resuming his studies.
In 2005, he enrolled at Coastal High School as a private A-level candidate, completing in 2007 while continuing to run his businesses.
Four years later, in 2011, he joined Eckernforde University in Tanga for a diploma in law. He later enrolled at the University of Gaborone in Botswana, although he did not complete his degree.
Family and personal life
Mr Mulumbe is married to Grace Jackson. The couple has two sons, Nicolaus and Elias.
As he campaigns for the presidency, he openly imagines his wife stepping into the role of First Lady and his sons becoming the nation’s First Family.
Campaign promises and policy pledges
Mr Mulumbe’s manifesto is built on reforms he believes will directly address the daily struggles of Tanzanians.
At the top of his agenda is a pledge to reform the road usage levy, which he describes as unfair.
Currently, he argues, lorry owners and motorcycle taxi riders are taxed equally, while farmers using tractors also pay the levy despite their vehicles not operating on public roads.
Since the levy is tied to fuel, he pledges to reduce the burden on motorcycle riders and exempt equipment not using highways.
He also promises to establish a Road Accident Fund, modelled on South Africa’s system, where accident victims are compensated with 270,000 Rand, equivalent to Sh40 million.
Mr Mulumbe insists Tanzanians, too, deserve such compensation, given their intrinsic value.
Water is another priority. He vows to end the crisis by purchasing borehole drilling trucks for every district to ensure citizens have access to clean water. He further pledges that borehole water will be free, sparing households the cost of connection fees and monthly bills.
Additionally, Mr Mulumbe plans to acquire desalination plants to convert seawater into potable water.
He argues that Dar es Salaam, with the Indian Ocean at its doorstep, should not depend solely on the Ruvu River, which produces 300,000 litres daily, when desalination could yield one million litres.
Agriculture and social policy
On agriculture, Mr Mulumbe promises sweeping reforms. He pledges to end rice imports, positioning Tanzania instead as an exporter of premium varieties such as basmati. He insists the country has the potential not only to feed itself but also to earn foreign exchange from agricultural exports.
Mr Mulumbe also commits to eradicating malaria, a disease that continues to claim lives and strain the health system.
On social issues, he vows to curb same-sex relationships and related activism, declaring his government will strictly enforce cultural and moral standards.
Education is another area of focus. Mr Mulumbe deplores the way quality education has been left largely to the private sector.
He pledges to restore the dignity of public education by improving teachers’ welfare, raising their salaries, and ensuring that government schools are revitalised to a standard where even graduates aspire to teach at the primary level.
A different path to the ballot
Mr Mulumbe’s political journey has been anything but conventional. From stepping aside for a friend in 2015, to walking out of ACT-Wazalendo in protest, to crossing into CCM, venturing abroad, joining and quitting TLP, and finally landing in ADC, his path reflects both turbulence and resilience.
At 41, he is now on the ballot as a presidential contender, determined to persuade Tanzanians that he offers a credible alternative.
His promises are ambitious, his convictions strong, and his journey unique. Whether the electorate will embrace him remains to be seen, but his presence on the political stage adds colour and intrigue to Tanzania’s 2025 General Election.
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