As Tanzania heads toward the 2025 General Election, the Civic United Front (CUF) has officially closed its nomination process for presidential aspirants, with six members now in the race for the party’s top ticket.
The latest to join the race is 70-year-old Nkunyutila Siwale from Mbozi District in the Songwe Region. He collected and submitted his nomination forms on Monday, July 14, 2025, making him the sixth hopeful to seek the CUF presidential nomination.
The CUF, one of Tanzania’s longstanding opposition parties, has opened the door for internal democracy by encouraging party members from different regions and backgrounds to run. Party insiders say this move is meant to revive the CUF’s national presence, especially after years of internal leadership wrangles that weakened its performance in past elections.
Though the full list of the other five candidates has not been officially published, sources within the party suggest that the group includes both seasoned politicians and new faces — a mix of youth and experience.
The party’s nomination committee is now reviewing all applications and will soon announce the date for the internal primaries, during which CUF members will vote for their flagbearer. The winner will represent CUF in the October 2025 presidential election.
Political analysts say that CUF’s ability to attract multiple candidates is a sign that the party is trying to rebuild and rebrand itself ahead of the national vote. However, they caution that unity after the primaries will be key if the party hopes to mount a serious challenge against more dominant political forces.
The National Electoral Commission has already released the election timetable, and CUF is expected to finalize its internal processes before the end of August. The party’s leadership has urged all candidates and supporters to conduct campaigns peacefully and respectfully to maintain party harmony.
As CUF prepares to choose its standard-bearer, many Tanzanians are watching closely to see if the party can offer a strong and united alternative in the upcoming general elections.
