UDA turns to Tanzania’s CCM for grassroots playbook in high-level Nairobi talks
The ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Tanzania’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, held high-level talks in Nairobi.
This is after the CCM Secretary General Emmanuel Nchimbi paid a courtesy visit to his UDA counterpart Hassan Omar Hassan at the UDA headquarters at Hustler Plaza.
UDA, in a statement shared via social media on the night of Wednesday, June 18, revealed that the two party officials held extensive discussions on deepening party-to-party relations, focusing on how best to align their political ideologies and strengthen grassroots engagement.
“Today, the Secretary General of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Balozi Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi, paid a courtesy call to UDA Secretary General Sen. Hassan Omar Hassan at his office, Hustler Plaza. Talks between the two leaders focused on modalities of bolstering relations between the CCM and UDA Party for the benefit of the people of the two friendly and neighbouring countries,” the statement read in part.
CCM’s dominance in Tanzania
CCM is Tanzania’s longest-ruling party, having been in power since 1977.
During the 2020 Tanzanian parliamentary elections, the CCM party secured a significant majority of seats, winning 256 out of 264 available. This represents a notable increase from their previous performance, where they held 73% of the seats. The CCM’s substantial victory effectively established a near one-party state in the Tanzanian legislature.
UDA now aims to adopt CCM’s successful grassroots mobilisation model, which secured the 256 parliamentary seats in Tanzania’s 2020 election.
“CCM has been in power in Tanzania for a long time and has successfully established strong grassroots-led movements and organisational structures. These are the models that UDA aims to emulate going forward. CCM’s Secretary General was accompanied by the High Commissioner of Tanzania to Kenya, H.E. Dr Bernard Yohana Kibesse,” UDA stated.
UDA partnership with NRM
UDA has also entered into a partnership with Uganda’s ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
In February 2025, the UDA delegation jetted out of the country to meet with NRM officials.
The UDA’s team was led by party Secretary General Hassan Omar, who left the country in what they described as a high-level consultative meeting.
In a statement, UDA, through its official X page, disclosed that the team would pitch camp in Kampala for a whole week, where matters of mutual interest would dominate their deliberations.
“UDA Party Secretary General Sen. Hassan Omar is leading a high-level party delegation for a consultative meeting with Uganda’s ruling party, National Resistance Movement (NRM),” the UDA party’s statement read in part.
