Africa-Press – Tanzania. For those of you who don’t know Pastor Godfrey Malisa, here’s a quick rundown:
Who is Godfrey Malisa?
Pastor Godfrey Malisa is a former member of Tanzania’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
He joined CCM in 2021 after being involved in other parties and ran for positions like national chairmanship in 2022.
In early 2025, he publicly opposed the party’s nomination of President Samia Suluhu Hassan as its presidential candidate, arguing it violated the CCM constitution.
This led to his expulsion from the party in February 2025 by the Kilimanjaro regional branch for breaching party ethics and decisions.
What happened to Pastor Malisa?
On November 20th, 2025, Malisa was taken from his home in the area Majengo in Moshi Kilimanjaro
Early reports from activists and opposition figures described it as a nighttime raid by armed individuals, leading to widespread claims of “abduction” (kutekwa).
Few days after his arrest/ abduction, some reports mentioned that he was being held at like Sanya Juu, Police station
Most of the time detentions like his are often linked to allegations of incitement, spreading false information, or organizing unrest via social media, common in the broader wave of arrests targeting critics, opposition members, clergy, and activists.
On December 17-18, 2025, multiple accounts from opposition figures and human rights activists have shared a handwritten message attributed directly to Malisa from detention which stated
“I’m close to dying here in prison, I’m not given my essential medicines, I’m suffering, but if I die, don’t stop fighting for justice.”
So far there is no official confirmation from the Tanzanian police, regarding Pastor Godfrey Malisa’s arrest.
The question that lingers in everyone’s mind is, was Malisa abducted or arrested, and if he was arrested, why is there no confirmation from the police?
