More than 300 residents of Bahi District have joined the opposition People’s Liberation Party (Chaumma), citing the party’s policies and dissatisfaction with challenges facing their communities.
The new members were issued with party cards by Chaumma Secretary-General Benson Kigaila on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at Mpinga Village in Mpinga Ward, Bahi District.
Mr Kigaila, who was accompanied by the party’s Director of Parliament, Councils and Regional Administration, Kayombo Kabutal, and Dodoma Regional Secretary Mathias Nyakapala, used the event to call for political change in the district.
He blamed persistent poverty among some Bahi residents on their continued support for the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), urging voters to consider supporting Chaumma.
“You are extremely poor because of choosing CCM. They have abandoned you and your lives remain uncertain. Reassess your position, leave CCM now and choose Chaumma,” Mr Kigaila said.
The claims were made at a party mobilisation event and were not supported by independent evidence establishing a direct link between residents’ political choices and poverty in the district.
Mr Kabutal said Bahi was endowed with natural resources, including uranium, but residents continued to face economic challenges.
He called on residents to give Chaumma an opportunity to participate in leadership, saying the party would use its policies and development plans to address challenges facing the district.
For some of the new members, however, the decision to join the party was linked to expectations of better responses to local development challenges.
Novatus Madanya said he had joined Chaumma after being satisfied with its policies, which he believed could contribute to addressing problems facing Bahi residents.
Neema Mlay cited water shortages as one of the longstanding challenges facing communities in the district.
She said residents wanted to see improvements in basic services and development projects, particularly in communities that have yet to benefit adequately from available natural resources.
The recruitment comes as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2026 General Election.