DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — A prominent Catholic priest in Kigoma has reportedly gone missing under disputed circumstances, triggering regional concern and renewed scrutiny of Tanzania’s response to alleged post-election abuses.
Father Josephat Misigaro of Nguruka Parish was said to have been abducted following a sermon in which he condemned what activists call the “Tanzania Massacre” — the killing of protesters after the October 29, 2025, general election.
The claims were first raised by Tanzanian activist Maria Saruni, who lives in Kenya, on Saturday, November 22.
Saruni alleged that plain-clothes operatives seized the priest days after he criticised President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, and warned that his fate remained unknown.
She directly appealed to global human rights bodies, including the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and Human Rights Watch, to intervene.
“This is what our country has come to — abductions in broad daylight. This is extreme chaos,” she wrote, sharing the priest’s photograph and urging international attention.
Hours later, the Kigoma Regional Police Command issued a strongly worded rebuttal, calling the allegations “false and misleading.”
According to Regional Commander ACP Philemon Makungu, Father Misigaro presented himself to police on November 20 for questioning regarding unspecified criminal allegations. Makungu stated that he was interviewed and released the same day.
The police statement also dismissed claims that two civilians, named by activists as Vedasto and Selule, had also disappeared. “No report has been filed about their disappearance,” Makungu said, adding that anyone with missing relatives should make a formal report to allow investigations to proceed.
Police further warned that those circulating what they termed “false information” would face legal consequences.
Father Misigaro’s disappearance reports came just days after he delivered a widely circulated sermon condemning the killing of unarmed demonstrators following Tanzania’s controversial election, which President Suluhu won with an overwhelming 97.66–98pc of the vote.
Opposition parties and several international observers have claimed the poll was marred by mass disqualifications, intimidation, and unlawful arrests.
During the November 16 sermon, Misigaro accused the security forces of “mass killings,” referencing reports that police used live ammunition on protesters. He called for accountability and urged the Church not to remain silent.
On November 21, CNN published an investigative exposé led by journalist Larry Madowo, detailing what appeared to be a violent and coordinated crackdown on post-election protests.
The investigation included geolocated videos, eyewitness accounts, and satellite images showing disturbed soil at a cemetery in Dar es Salaam, raising fears of mass graves. CNN reported evidence of police shootings, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.
The Tanzanian government dismissed the report as “hugely exaggerated,” insisting that no massacre took place.
The disappearance allegations have attracted regional concern, particularly among civil society and Catholic groups who are pressing for assurances of the priest’s safety.
Human rights advocates say the conflicting accounts highlight the urgency of an independent investigation into both Misigaro’s whereabouts and broader allegations of post-election abuses.
As of Saturday night, neither the Church nor Father Misigaro’s family had issued an official update.
