“Horrific, evil attack” on Secretary General of Tanzania’s Catholic Bishops “deeply” Saddening: Conference President

Dar es Salaam, 05 May, 2025 / 8:51 PM

The April 30 attack and injury of the Secretary General of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), Fr. Charles Kitima, is “deeply” saddening, the leadership of the East African nation’s Conference of Catholic Bishops has said.

In a May 1 statement that TEC Vice President, Bishop Eusebius Alfred Nzingilwa of Tanzania’s Catholic Diocese of Mpanda, issued, Catholic Bishops in the country call upon security agencies to “take swift action” in delivering justice for Fr. Kitima.

TEC members, Bishop Nzingilwa says, are “deeply saddened and strongly condemn the horrific and evil attack and injury of Fr. Charles Kitima”, which he says occurred at around 10:00 PM at the residence and headquarters of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Tanzania’s Metropolitan See of Dar-es-Salaam.

“We call upon the police force and other security agencies to take swift action to identify and apprehend all those involved in planning and carrying out this brutal crime and bring them to justice,” TEC Vice President says.

Fr. Kitima was reportedly “ambushed by two people” at a canteen restroom neighboring his residence at TEC headquarters in Dar es Salaam.

“He was hit on the head with a blunt object and was later admitted to hospital, where he is in a stable condition,” according to a May 2 BBC News report, which cites eyewitnesses testifying that the TEC Secretary General “had been seen talking to several people before the attack, and was later found bleeding and calling for help, moments after individuals were seen fleeing the scene.”

The May 2 BBC News report describes Fr. Kitima as “a prominent Tanzanian Catholic priest and government critic” and adds that his violent attack and injury has happened “amid rising political tensions ahead of elections due in October.”

In the May 1 TEC Statement, Tanzania’s Catholic Bishops emphasize the need for urgent and “thorough investigation” into the April 30 night attack on Fr. Kitima and findings “shared transparently and without distortion.”

TEC members recognize with gratitude support from security agencies following the attack, saying, “We are grateful for the cooperation we have received so far from the government and our security agencies.”

They also acknowledge the solidarity from “individuals, local and international institutions that continue to condemn and sympathize with us over this heinous and shameful act to our nation.”

“We thank all those who assisted and ensured that Father Kitima was taken to the hospital promptly, as well as the doctors and nurses who are attending to him,” TEC members say about their Secretary General, who previously served as the Vice Chancellor (VC) of St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) for a decade. 

They further appeal, "We ask all believers and people of goodwill to continue praying for Fr. Kitima’s healing."

The Catholic Church leaders urge the people of God in Tanzania to exercise "patience and endurance" while awaiting the outcome of the ongoing investigations by the relevant security agencies.

They also encourage the people of God under their pastoral care to “pray for peace and unity” in the East African nation ahead of the country’s general elections late in October.

The attack on Fr. Kitima has drawn condemnation from the International Cooperation for Development Solidarity (CIDSE), the umbrella organization for Catholic development agencies in Europe and North America.

In a statement published Monday, May 5, CIDSE officials make known their “deep concern and strong condemnation following the violent attack on Fr. Charles Kitima … on the evening of 30 April 2025 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where the priest was attending a meeting of religious leaders.”

“As an international alliance of Catholic organisations for social justice, CIDSE and its member organisations, KOO, Maryknoll, Misereor, and Welthaus, which are direct partners of the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference, stand in full solidarity with Father Kitima and the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference,” they say.

In the statement, CIDSE officials also call “for an urgent investigation into this act and for those responsible to be brought to justice. Violence must never be allowed to silence voices of peace and humanity.”

On its part, the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania has condemned the attack on the TEC Secretary General and expressed solidarity with “Tanzanians across the political spectrum in praying for his full recovery.”

In a statement published on May 2 on X, the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania denounces “all acts of violence, especially those that aim to silence calls for justice, reconciliation, and human rights.”

“We hope Tanzania takes advantage of this moment to seek justice through a quick, transparent investigation,” the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania says.