Africa-Press – Tanzania. KAGERA Regional Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Chairman, Mr Nazir Karamagi, has issued a strong appeal to Tanzanians to uphold peace and unity as the nation heads towards the October General Election, warning that the stability of the country depends on the conduct of both leaders and citizens during this sensitive period.
Speaking in Bukoba on Wednesday this week, Mr Karamagi stressed that preserving national harmony should be viewed as a collective duty, transcending political affiliations.
He singled out religious leaders, journalists and politicians as groups with significant influence on public opinion, urging them to act as role models in encouraging calm and constructive political discourse.
“As we approach the General Election in October this year, I urge all Tanzanians to uphold peace before, during and after the election, for the sake of our country’s future and for the generations to come. Each one of us has a duty to maintain peace at all costs. Do not allow yourselves to be swayed by political divisions or become a source of unrest during this time,” Mr Karamagi cautioned.
He said that unity, tolerance and mutual respect among citizens remain fundamental to ensuring a smooth, credible and democratic electoral process.
He urged CCM aspirants seeking nomination to remain calm, follow official procedures and avoid conduct that could inflame tensions.
In an update on the party’s nomination process, Mr Karamagi revealed that a total of 192 aspirants had been endorsed to contest for councillorship positions across the region’s 192 wards.
Out of these, 185 were incumbent councillors seeking re-election, while seven others did not make it through the party’s internal process.
For parliamentary seats, the CCM National Executive Committee has endorsed 61 candidates to represent the party in Kagera’s nine constituencies.
Five incumbent MPs emerged victorious in the parliamentary opinion polls: Dr Jasson Samson Rweikiza (Bukoba Rural), Dr Oscar Ishengoma Kikoyo (Muleba South), Engineer Ezra John Chiwelesa (Biharamulo West), Mr Innocent Lugha Bashungwa (Karagwe) and Mr Florent Laurent Kyombo (Missenyi).
Newcomers in the race include Engineer Johnston Johanssen Mutasingwa (Bukoba Urban), Mr Adonis Alfred Bitegeko (Muleba North), Mr Dotto Jasson Bahemu (Ngara), and Mr Khalid Mussa Nsekela (Kyerwa).
In the CCM Women’s Special Seats category, Ms Devotha Daniel Mburarugaba and Ms Samira Khalfan Amour secured victory in preliminary votes with 1,303 and 1,250 votes respectively.
Special Seats in Tanzania’s electoral system are reserved for women to enhance female representation in Parliament, with allocations distributed proportionally among parties according to the number of constituency seats they win.
Mr Karamagi closed his address by reminding the audience that Kagera, like other border regions, plays a strategic role in projecting Tanzania’s image to neighbouring countries.
“Any disruption here could have consequences beyond our borders. Let us show the world that elections in Tanzania are an exercise in peace, dignity and maturity,” he said.
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