AS Tanzania grapples with deep political unrest following the protest emanating from the disputed October 2025 elections, Bishop Benson Bagonza of the Evangelical Lutheran Church has once again offered a sobering message to the nation.
Through his Facebook page, the bishop calls for calm, humility, and genuine leadership rooted in dialogue and moral courage. His message, written in Kiswahili under the title “Uongozi Wakati wa Mgogoro” (Leadership in Times of Crisis), reminds both leaders and citizens that peace, not power, should guide the way forward.
Below is the full translation of his post:
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Leadership in Times of Crisis
We are facing a serious constitutional crisis.
We don’t know who is leading. I doubt that it’s IGP Wambura or CDF Nkunda who made recent public statements.
Violence on election day is different from post-election violence. This is not the first time we have reached a constitutional crossroads. Retired CDF Mabeyo knows this well.
How did we get here? It’s no use asking that now. The real question is: How do we get out?
We need leadership. Even at a funeral, we need leadership to bury the dead. Those who caused this had leadership. Those protesting also have leadership, even if it’s not visible. A vacuum is more dangerous than the crisis itself.
How do we move forward?
A leader must emerge. Whether accepted or not, someone must step forward – calm, humble, and patient.
That leader must be agile. They should be able to engage and be engaged. Stop the killings and open channels of communication. Keeping people locked indoors only teaches them to make bombs or drives them back to the streets.
They must connect with hearts and minds, not just bodies. We don’t have many such leaders because we invested too much in power instead of humanity.
No one should be left behind in seeking solutions- Gen Z, street youth, opposition, and those in power all hold part of the answer. The leader must listen more than they speak.
They must gather a trustworthy team, bound by mutual confidence – not coercion. The team should look forward without forgetting the past, and prioritize the nation over individuals or parties.
They must have courage (not arrogance) and be willing to take risks—ready to be blamed without guilt, and to love the country above all else.
We have shed too much blood in too little time. We have destroyed too much property too quickly. Let us recognize these truths:
i) Blood makes reconciliation harder – we must be ready.
ii) Blood diminishes or destroys the legitimacy of leaders – we must accept that.
iii) Blood divides the nation further – beware of turning against each other.
iv) Blood may force justice and reconciliation to come from outside our borders – let’s not blame one another when that happens.
Announcing results is not an emergency. It can wait. We claim to respect the constitution – really? Then why does it feel like incitement? Where are the so-called online patrol champions to curb this provocation? As I said, the results do not rot; announcing them neither adds nor removes their legitimacy.
We agreed there is life after elections. But we never defined what that means. Now we need leadership to guide us into that life. Leadership is not guns, bombs, handcuffs, or shouting matches. Leadership is listening. Legitimacy earns you the right to be heard.
We loved parties and cheered the nation. We got stuck. Let’s change: love the nation, cheer for parties. Positions don’t create patriotism; patriotism creates positions.
Let’s be gentle. We are not done with Gen Z yet. Our nation is vast. Let’s win the hearts of the youth, because bullets will never be enough.
Let’s return to the table – quickly.
Let’s not come with answers already in our pockets.
We’ll find them together at the table.
“Preserve Freedom and Unity.”
