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The High Court of Tanzania will on Monday begin hearing a constitutional case filed by opposition politician Luhaga Joelson Mpina, who is challenging a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify him from contesting in the upcoming general election.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Office of the Chief Legal Counsel of ACT Wazalendo, the case, registered as Constitutional Petition No. 20027 of 2025, will be heard at the High Court’s main registry in Dodoma before a panel of three judges – Justice Sylvester Kainda, Justice Fredrick Manyanda, and Justice Abdallah Gonzi. Proceedings are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
In a separate but related matter, Justice Wilbert Chuma of the same court will also continue hearing case No. 23617 of 2025, which questions the legality of a decision by the Registrar of Political Parties.
The Registrar’s ruling was cited by INEC in removing Mpina from the list of presidential candidates.
The petitioners in that case had sought an urgent hearing, and on September 16 the court issued directions requiring respondents to submit their replies by September 18, while the applicants filed their rejoinders on September 19.
The court is expected to hear further clarifications on September 22 before setting a date for a preliminary ruling.
Mpina, who is running under the ACT Wazalendo ticket, was struck off INEC’s final list of presidential candidates for the October 29 general election.
His legal team argues that the decision was unconstitutional and denies voters their democratic right to choose their leader.
The case has already drawn public attention as it could influence both the electoral process and the political climate ahead of next month’s polls.
In its statement, ACT Wazalendo also urged its members and candidates to continue with their campaigns while awaiting the court’s ruling.