ODM raises concern over Tanzania elections, disappearance of John Heche
By Luke Oluoch, November 1, 2025The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is expected to issue a statement on Sunday, November 2, 2025, expected to issue a statement on the concluded Tanzania polls and the unlawful detention of CHADEMA vice chair John Hehe, who has been missing for days after being arrested while crossing over to Kenya for Raila Odinga’s burial.
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Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has revealed the foregoing in an address this Saturday, November 1, 2025.
According to the official, ODM has noted the events in Tanzania with keen interest and will be issuing their statement on the leader’s disappearance.
Concerns
“As the ODM party, we are saddened by the events in Tanzania. The heartbreaking events are a reminder to us of what we saw in 2007. We are going to issue our statement on Sunday, November 2, 2025, about all these and the unlawful detention of John Heche, who was arrested while on his way to attend Raila Odinga’s burial,“ he said.
The SG particularly addressed the continued detention of Heche by Tanzanian authorities days after being arrested in Tanzania while attending a court hearing of his party leader and politician, Tundu Lissu.
“Baba had many friends in Tanzania and the Chadema party. During his burial, Chadema Vice-chair, John Heche, was to be in attendance. He was, however, arrested while coming to Baba’s burial. We have been in contact with his family, and they have confirmed he is in bad shape and has not eaten for a few days, but the government does not want to release him,” he added.
Sifuna urged that the entire country must take a stand against such inhumane and undemocratic practices, warning of the possibility of such trends spilling over to our country.
Undemocratic
“Let me take the opportunity to condemn these acts. They are not something that we can tolerate in a democratic society,” he added.
His remarks come shortly after Tanzania’s electoral commission declared on Saturday, November 1, 2025, that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had won, with nearly 98% of the votes, an election that set off violent protests across the country this week.
The result hands Hassan, who took power in 2021 after the death in office of her predecessor, a five-year term to govern the East African country of 68 million people.
Protests erupted on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, with some demonstrators tearing down banners of Hassan and setting fire to government buildings and police firing teargas and gunshots, according to witnesses.