Luhaga Mpina joins ACT-Wazalendo, eyes presidential ticket

Dar es Salaam. Former Kisesa MP Luhaga Mpina has officially joined ACT-Wazalendo and collected nomination forms to vie for the party’s presidential ticket in the upcoming October 29 General Election, marking a significant shift in Tanzania’s political landscape.

Multiple sources within ACT-Wazalendo confirmed that Mpina was formally issued a party membership card and nomination forms on Monday, August 4, following his departure from Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

The move comes just weeks after CCM excluded his name from the list of parliamentary aspirants during its internal nomination process.

Mpina’s entry into ACT-Wazalendo comes at a time when the opposition party is holding a series of high-level meetings, including its Leadership Committee, Central Committee and National Executive Council, ahead of the General Congress scheduled for Wednesday, August 6.

Photographs seen by The Citizen show Mpina being registered electronically by ACT-Wazalendo’s party leader Dorothy Semu, alongside former party leader Zitto Kabwe, in what observers describe as a symbolic moment for both the party and the politician.

However, Mpina’s rapid political rise within ACT-Wazalendo appears to have triggered internal tensions, particularly regarding the presidential nomination. Sources close to the party leadership say that Semu, who was widely seen as the frontrunner for the nomination, is now under pressure from some quarters to make way for the former CCM legislator.

“She is being encouraged to step aside, but she has maintained that she will not withdraw. If forced to compete in the primaries, she is prepared to resign from all her leadership positions,” said a senior party insider, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Other members of the Central Committee reportedly see Mpina as a strategic asset who could broaden the party’s electoral appeal.

Some believe he has the political experience and national visibility needed to mount a serious challenge in the presidential race.

Despite the disagreements, the party is expected to resolve the matter ahead of tomorrow’s Congress, with several officials expressing hope that consensus will be reached in the interest of unity and electoral readiness.

Meanwhile, members of the Central Committee and Executive Council were still waiting outside ACT-Wazalendo’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam as the Leadership Committee meeting continued into the afternoon.

Outside the venue, party cadres and supporters engaged in heated discussions. Some voiced support for Semu, while others backed Mpina’s presidential ambitions, calling for both contenders to face the party’s General Congress and allow delegates to decide.

One supporter, overheard near the party offices, said, “The process must be managed carefully. No one wants a scenario where a senior leader loses in the primaries and leaves the party humiliated.”

Efforts to reach Dorothy Semu for comment were still ongoing by the time of going to press.