Tundu Lissu gives a lecture on democracy at USIU-Africa
By Dr. Nicodemus Minde
On October 31, the Department of International Relations invited Tanzania’s opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, to the university to give a guest lecture to graduate students. Lissu is a prominent opposition leader known for his advocacy for human rights, democracy, and social justice. Lissu has been a staunch critic of government corruption and authoritarianism. As a member of the opposition party, Chadema, Lissu has been vocal about Tanzania’s ruling party’s policies, particularly under former President John Magufuli. In 2017, he survived an assassination attempt that left him seriously injured, leading to his temporary exile. Despite numerous challenges, he continues his political activism, advocating for democratic reforms.
The session was moderated by Dr. Nicodemus Minde, adjunct faculty in the International Relations (IR) department. Acting Chair Dr. Francis Khayundi warmly welcomed Mr. Lissu alongside fellow panelists Prof. Macharia Munene and Honorable Caleb Amisi, the Member of Parliament of Saboti, who is also a graduate student of International Relations at USIU-Africa. Mr. Lissu drew from his extensive political and activist background to discuss the challenges of democratization in East Africa and the pivotal role of social movements. He began his lecture with a harrowing account of surviving an assassination attempt on September 7, 2017, during which unknown gunmen shot him 16 times after a parliamentary session in Tanzania’s capital, Dodoma. At the time, he was the Chief Whip in parliament and a prominent government critic. Mr. Lissu recounted his recovery at Nairobi Hospital and expressed deep gratitude to Kenyans for their life-saving blood donations, declaring himself "Kenyan by blood."
In his lecture, Mr. Lissu provided an in-depth historical analysis of East Africa's democratic struggles, focusing on the experiences of change-makers and activists in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. He delved into the effects of European colonialism and the transition to independence, noting how newly independent governments initially inherited relatively sound political systems and constitutions. However, Lissu observed that these systems quickly degenerated into dictatorships. He attributed this decline to the imperial presidential system, which, according to him, grants excessive power to the head of state. He commended Kenya's progress in democratization, suggesting that other East African nations could learn valuable lessons from its experience.
Prof Macharia Munene highlighted the significance of the June Gen Z-led social protests, which were demanding government accountability on governance issues, deeming them historic. Hon. Caleb Amisi then explained the critical role of parliament in Kenya's democratization process. Following their presentations, students had the opportunity to pose questions to the panelists, and later Mr. Lissu engaged with Tanzanian students studing at USIU-Africa.
