By Judy Maina
NAIROBI – A suspected arson attack early Tuesday morning targeted the home of a senior official from Tanzania’s ruling party, the latest in a series of troubling incidents raising concerns about political tension and public safety in the run-up to the country’s general elections.
Philimon Mng’ong’o, the Publicity Secretary for the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party in Mbeya Urban, said unknown individuals set fire to his car while his family slept inside their home in Isanga Kati, a densely populated neighborhood in the southern city of Mbeya.
“It was around 4 a.m. when my wife woke up to pray and noticed the blaze,” Mr. Mng’ong’o said in an interview. “We rushed outside and found our vehicle engulfed in flames. We managed to contain it using sand, but the fire could have easily reached the house.”
The family’s Nissan X-Trail was destroyed in the fire. A plastic container reeking of petrol was discovered near the vehicle, fueling suspicions that the act was deliberate.
No injuries were reported, though Mr. Mng’ong’o said the family, including two young children, remains deeply shaken. “I can’t say yet if this was politically motivated,” he added. “But I believe someone is trying to send a message.”
The incident comes just a week after a tyre was reportedly stolen from the same vehicle — an episode Mr. Mng’ong’o now views in a more sinister light.
Local officials and police have condemned the attack. Isanga Kati sub-ward leader Bakari Yusuph called the incident “alarming” and said security meetings would be convened.
Regional Police Commander Benjamin Kuzaga confirmed an investigation is underway, though no arrests had been made as of Wednesday afternoon.
While politically-linked violence is rare in Tanzania, the attack follows growing tensions in recent weeks between the ruling party and opposition leaders, who have accused the government of intimidation ahead of the October elections.
As the investigation continues, Mr. Mng’ong’o said his priority is ensuring his family’s safety.
“We are still trying to make sense of this,” he said. “But what’s clear is that our lives were in danger.”
