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

Advocate @ShundoGaston and CHADEMA’s Director of Legal and Human Rights Affairs visited Hon. Tundu Antiphas Mghwai Lissu (Prisoner No. 623/2026) at Ukonga Prison and confirmed that he is safe and has begun adjusting to his new circumstances. During the visit, Hon. Lissu formally mandated the team of lawyers, under the leadership of Dr. Rugemeleza Nshalla, to represent him in the intended appeal and all related legal proceedings arising from the High Court's decision delivered on 6 November 2026 at the Dar es Salaam Registry. He also received copies of the duly filed Notice of Appeal and the judgment delivered on 6 November 2026. Meanwhile, further legal steps are underway under the coordination of his legal team as efforts to challenge the decision and secure justice continue. #FreeTunduLissu #JusticeForTunduLissu @robertamsterdam @_PASNET @WLCongress @PADafr25 @EUinTZ @EUparliament @EUtoAU @SenatorShaheen @aliciakearns @UN_SPExperts @UNHumanRights @UN_HRC @volker_turk @davidmcallister @USAmbTanzania @UKinTanzania

The hearing has been adjourned till 11.00 am. Stay tuned.

Kesho Jamatatu, November 9, tutakuwa tena Mahakama Kuu ya Kenya,Jijini Nairobi, kuendelea kufuatilia kwa karibu kesi ya kutekwa Ndg yetu na mpiaganaji mwenzetu Twaha Mwaipaya. TUENDELEE KUPAZA SAUTI KWA AJILI YA TWAHA NA DHIDI YA VITENDO VYA UTEKAJI. #FreeTwahaMwaipaya #JusticeForTwahaMwaipaya @TanganyikaLaw @humanrightstz @PoliceKE @AmnestyEARO

We support the @idualliance calls on all democratic governments, the African Union, the East African Community, and the Southern African Development Community to not accept this outcome as a compromise. Imprisoning the leader of the opposition on an offence he was never charged with must carry serious consequences for their relations with Tanzania. IDU Statement on the Verdict Against Tundu Lissu | International Democracy Union. #FreeTunduLissu #FreeTanzania @UKinTanzania @WLCongress @andyburnham @KemiBadenoch @aliciakearns @EUparliament @IPUparliament @HecheJohn @POTUS @davidmcallister @SFRCdems @SenSchumer @AbdulElSayed idu.org/idu-statement-on-the…

This judgement, in its entirety, is a travesty of justice and a mockery of our criminal justice system. The struggle continues. #FreeTunduLissu @France24_fr @commonwealthsec f24.my/CGbH

"Hakutakuwa na MAZUNGUMZO yoyote wakati KIONGOZI wetu @TunduALissu akiwa ndani ya kuta za magereza". @HecheJohn #FreeTunduLissu #FreeTanzania “There will be NO DIALOGUE whatsoever while our LEADER, @TunduALissu, remains behind prison walls.” — @HecheJohn #FreeTunduLissu #FreeTanzania

SUMMARY OF TUNDU LISSU'S TREASON TRIAL RULING – 6 NOVEMBER 2026 The High Court has acquitted CHADEMA Chairman Tundu Lissu of treason but convicted him of the lesser offence of incitement under Section 390 of the Penal Code, invoking Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Act. 1. The Court's ruling The prosecution failed to prove the essential element of treason, particularly the alleged intention to threaten the government. Nevertheless, the court found that Lissu's statements urging citizens to prevent or disrupt the 2025 elections amounted to incitement. The court rejected the defence's objection that the charge sheet did not adequately specify the offence. 2. The prosecution's arguments The prosecution maintained that Lissu's public statements were intended to mobilise citizens to disrupt the 2025 elections and that his words demonstrated unlawful intent, regardless of whether the government was actually intimidated. 3. Lissu's strongest contestation Lissu mounted three fundamental challenges: First, violation of the right to a fair trial: He argued that he had been convicted of an offence that was not on the charge sheet and against which he had not been afforded an opportunity to defend himself. Second, political context: He maintained that his statements must be understood within CHADEMA's political campaign for constitutional and electoral reforms, not automatically characterised as criminal incitement. Third, political impunity: He warned that the conviction could provide political cover for those responsible for the mass killings surrounding the October 2025 elections by shifting responsibility towards opposition leaders. 4. The fundamental legal question Can a court acquit someone of the principal charge of treason and subsequently convict them of a lesser offence that was not formally charged, without ensuring that the accused has been given a meaningful opportunity to defend themselves? The central concern is that the right to a fair trial cannot be circumvented through judicial substitution of criminal charges. Lissu's strongest ground for challenging this judgment is therefore the alleged violation of his constitutional right to a fair hearing, compounded by the question of whether the court properly exercised its powers under Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Act. Note: He has been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for an offence that was neither included in the original charge sheet nor formally charged against him, and in respect of which he was never afforded an opportunity to present a defence. This constitutes a grave violation of his fundamental right to a fair trial and the principles of due process. #FreeTunduLissu #JusticeForTunduLissu #JudicialIndependence @robertamsterdam @davidmcallister @UKinTanzania @EUparliament @EUtoAU @EUCouncil @IPUparliament @idualliance @aliciakearns @SenatorShaheen @SFRCdems @SKIKhama @TMFoundation_ @PADafr25 @Smith_JeffreyT @OfficialVatican @VaticanNews @cnni @Official_SABC1

#UPDATES_KESI_YA_UHAINI Part 502 Mhe. Lissu anaendelea Anasema uamuzi huu wa kunikuta na hatia na kosa ambalo sikushtakiwa nalo, sikujitetea ni kosa la kutengeneza, effect yake ni kwamba unatoa kinga ya kisiasa kwa wale ambao walihusika mauaji amkubwa ya kisiasa, watatoka na kusema wauaji walishapataikana. Serikali ya Samia imeua watu wengi zaidi ukiachilia historia ya vita vya majimaji, hawa mass murderers watashangilia sana na uamuzi huu kwasababu mmewapa sababu ya kusema aliyesababisha mauaji ya Oktoba 2025 amepatikana na hatia lakini hii haitafunika ukweli. Serikali ya Mwalimu Nyerere iliuwa watu 37 mwaka 1977 na iliwajibika, Peter Kisumo alikuwa Mkuu wa Mkoa w Shinyanga alijiuzulu, na wengine akiwemo Mwinyi. Leo watu 518 walioripotiwa kwa uchache hakuna aliyewajibishwa, uamuzi wenu hautaficha hiyo kashfa. Kwenye sentences guidelines za Mahakama hii, inasema lazima adhabu ya faini itolewe isipokuwa kama ni grave offence, kosa nililoshtakiwa nalo sio grave. Waheshimiwa Majaji hukumu mnayo, ambayo mmeagizwa muitoe, itoeni nawashukuruni sana. Jaji Ndunguru anawasha mic anasema tumesikiliza hoja za pande zote na katika kutoa adhabu tumezingatia sababu kadha wa kadha. Kwanza mshtakiwa umeomba dhamana ili ukate rufaa, tumeangalia hoja ya ugonjwa na kuwa wewe ni mkosaji wa kwanza, hoja ya adhabu ya faini au kifungo. Kifungu cha 390 hakijatoa adhabu na ukisoma kanuni ya adhabu kifungu cha 35 kinahusika pale ambapo hakuna adhabu. Adhabu ni kifungo kisichozidi miaka 5 au fani au vyote viwili na hakijaelekeza faini ni kiasi gani. Tunajua kuwa pale ambapo fani na kifungo vinakuwa vinatolewa first option ni faini. Tumesoma na maamuzi mbalimbali na mengine ambayo tumeshayasema mfano kuzuia uchaguzi ni kukiuka katiba, ukisoma Ibara ya 30(1) imeeleza kuwa hutakiwa kuingilia haki za mtu mwingine. Mahakama inatoa adhabu kwa mshitakiwa kutumikia kifungo cha muda wa miaka 4 na una haki ya kukata rufaa. Majaji wanatoka. Naomba nisaidie kushare ujumbe uende mbali.

Part 501 Wakili wa Serikali kimsingi anasema kwamba matukio ya vurugu za Oktoba 2025 yalitokana na kauli zangu kama nimemuelewa sawa sawa. Kwenye kesi hii sina hakika kama mmeletewa ushahidi wa hotuba ya Jaji Chande wala yeye hajaja kutoa ushahidi hapa kuthibitisha hizo vurugu zilisababishwa na vurugu za wanasiasa gani. Mnaambiwa mnitolee adhabu kali kwa kosa ambalo kama lipo limefanyika kwazaidi ya miezi 6 limefanyika baadae mimi nikiwa gerezani, mkikubaliana na hoja hiyo huu utakuwa ni uthibitisho mwingine kwamba huu ni uamuzi wa maelekezo. Watu kicheko😂😂😂😂😂 Wakili wa Serikali Mkuu anataka muamini projo za mitandaoni, mkikubali utakuwa ni uthibitisho kuwa ni maagizo. Wakili wa Serikali Mkuu amewaambia vile vile kwasasa hawana taarifa zozote kama hili ni kosa langu la kwanza, maana yake anaashiria kwamba kuna previous conviction, sasa kwavile hana uhakika mimi nitawaambia ukweli, sijawahi kutiwa hatiani na kosa lolote la jinai, wamenishtaki kwa zaidi ya miaka 24 tangu 2002 hawajawahi kunipata, I have never ever been convicted for a criminal offence, kwahiyo mnapofikiria adhabu lazima mjue kwamba mnatoa adhabu kwa mtu ambaye hajawahi kupatikana na hatia. Mhe. Lissu anaendelea Waheshimiwa majaji nafaham mnajua kwamba nina msiba mkubwa sana wa mtu aliyenilea, amenifanya mimi kuwa mwanasheria, kwasabu sikupata nafasi ya kumuuguza, nilikuwa natumaini kuwa Mahakama itaniacha niende nikamzike Mzee Alutte, I was hoping that, inaelekea kuwa hiyo haipo kwenye mahesabu yenu, mnapokuwa mnafikiria adhabu mfikirie na hilo, family obligationdls is a factor kuamua adhabu, huyu mtu amefiwa, Dunia nzima inajua, magazeti everywhere, I was hoping that nitapata nafasi ya kwenda kumzika huyu aliyenilea. Waheshimiwa majaji leo ni mwaka na miezi 7 niko gerezani, mnapofikiria adhabu kali muitoe msije mkasahau kwamba huyu mtu ameshakaa gerezani kwa kosa ambalo mmelisema wenyewe kuwa sio kosa, halijathibitishwa na wala msije mkasau walichokisema jopo la Majaji watatu wenzenu: Jaji Mruma, Dkt. Longopa na Jaji Rumisha kuhusiana na niliyotendewa gerezani. Wamesema nimenyimwa fursa ya kuwasiliana na mawakili wangu, Viongozi wenzangu wa chama halali cha Chadema, nimenyimwa fursa hata ya kuomba Mungu. Majaji wenzenu wamesema hayo yaliyotendeka nilinyimwa fursa na haki ya kujitetea, msije mkasau hayo mnapofikiria adhabu kali. Waheshimiwa Majaji mimi ni raia mwema wa nchi hii, mzalendo wa nchi hii, nimetumikia nchi hii kama Mbunge wa kuchaguliwa na Wananchi mara 2 nimekwenda Jeshini, nimekuwa Rais wa Chama cha Wanasheria wa nchi hii, mimi sio mpiga kelele, I am a patriotic, ndio maana nimeona na mabalozi wako Mahakamani, wanajua mimi ni patriotic hivyo mnapofikiria adhabu msije mkasahau hoja hii. Waheshimiwa Majaji gerezani sio mahali pazuri sana, nasema hivyo kwasababu nimeishi kwa siku 577, nakaa kwenye chumba cha sita kwa sita, sio sheraton hotel, unaweza ukasema tu funga kama hujui Gereza ni nini? Nasema haya kwasababu mimi sio mzima sana, kwenye huu mwili wangu nina operesheni 25, visu vya madaktari, ninatembea na risasi mwilini. Katika risasi 16 zilizoingia mwilini moja walishindwa kuitoa, ninatakiwa niwe naenda Hospital Ubeligiji, Hospital ya chuo kikuu cha Luven nilikotibiwa baada ya yaliyonikuta miaka 9 iliyopita, nimeshamiss appointment 4 kwasababu ya kesi hii, juu ya yote hayo Majaji nina kisukari huu mwaka wa 6 sasa, kwahiyo mtakapokuwa mnatafakari hiyo adhabu kali, mkumbuke hilo kwamba hali yangu ya kiafya sio nzuri sana. Waheshimiwa majaji kosa la uchochezi mara ya mwisho nilipoangalia ni kosa lenye dhamana, kama itawapendeza Kwa vile hili kosa lina dhamana, mnipe dhamana ili nikatie uamuzi wenu huu rufaa nikiwa nje kwa dhamana lakini muhimu zaidi pia ili nikamzike huyu aliyelala (Mzee Alute), nilisema sina mpango wa kuomba ila dhamana naomba. Part 502 itaendelea kwenye post inayofuata, Naomba Repost yako.

Part 499 Jaji Ndunguru anasema kwamba Mahakama inaamini kwamba mshtakiwa alikuwa na notice ya kosa dogo hivyo alikuwa na nafasi ya kujitetea na ushahidi wote uliotolewa umejikita kwenye uchochezi na alichochea umma kuzuia uchaguzi wa 2025 Kwa mujibu wa kifungu cha 390 cha Kanuni ya Adhabu Mahakama imeridhika kwamba Lissu alitenda kosa la uchochezi kwa mujibu wa kifungu cha 390 cha Kanuni ya Adhabu. Hivyo Mahakama hii inamtia hatiani kwa kosa hili la Uchochezi. Jaji Ndunguru: Upande wa mashtaka Anasimama Katuga anasema Kamba kwa mujibu wa kifungu cha 339 cha CPA mahakama hii inaweza kupokea mpaka ushahidi kwenye kutoa proper sentence. Upande wa Jamhuri tunajua adhabu ina malengo mojawapo ni kutoa onyo kwa mtu aliyetenda kosa ili asirudie kosa hilo au makosa mengine na linakuwa onyo kwa watu wengine wenye nia ya kutenda kosa hilo ambalo mshtakiwa ametiwa hatiani. Upande wa Jamhuri mbali na kutokuwa na previous records za mshtakiwa za makosa ya nyuma, kwa mujibu wa taarifa zilizopo polisi kumekuwa na ongezeko kubwa sana la watu wenye kutenda kosa la kuchochea umma wa watanzania kwa maslahi yao binafsi either ya kisiasa au ya kiuchumi. Vitendo ambavyo mara zote vinaharibu amani ya nchi, vinaathiri uchumi wa nchi kwa maana ama vinapelekea uharibifu wa mali za umma zikiwemo na mali binafsi. Hivi vitendo vya kichochezi vinaathiri uchumi wa nchi na vimepelekea umma wa watanzania kuwa na hofu kuwa kutakuwa na matukio ya uvunjifu wa amani hivyo wanashindwa kufanya shughuli za kiuchumi. Waheshimiwa vitendo vya kiuchochezi vinaathiri uchumi wa wananchi na hili ni kosa kisheria, wakati mnatoa adhabu tunawaalika katika hotuba halali ya Jaji Chande na Tume yake baada ya kufanya uchunguzi bila kuchagua upande wowote walisema sababu za vurugu wakati na baada ya uchaguzi wa 2025 zilisababishwa na kauli za baadhi ya wanasiasa. Kifungu cha 35 kinatoa general punishment ambayo adhabu yake ni miaka 5 hivyo tunaomba mahakama hii iangalie athari ambazo zimetokea kutokana na kauli ambazo mshtakiwa ametiwa hatiani pamoja na hotuba ya jaji chande. Taarifa ya Chande inaonyesha hasara inayotokana na uchochezi uliotokana na kauli hizo. Tunaomba adhabu kali Waheshimiwa majaji ili iweze kukidhi nia ya adhabu kisheria. Waheshimiwa kifungu hiki kinasema adhabu kubwa ni miaka 5 au pamoja na faini. Ni faini kiasi gani ni Mahakama kuangalia athari kutokana na athari zilizotokea. Ni hayo tu. Jaji Ndunguru anamuuliza Mshtakiwa kama analolote la kusema? Mhe. Lissu anasema Waheshimiwa majaji nina maneno ya kuzungumza ila naomba dakika 5 nifanye consultations na mawakili wangu ili niweze kuzungumza hayo ninayotaka kuzungumza. Jaji Ndunguru:Sawa Part 500 itaendea kwenye post inayofuata. Naomba Repost.