On June 20, 2025, police arrested podcasters Jackson Martine Kabalo and Joseph Chaviruka Mrindoko in the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha, according to multiple news reports.
The duo — whose Wachokonozi podcast features satirical and critical commentary on Tanzanian politics, economics, and culture — were detained without access to their lawyers or family until June 26, according to the non-governmental Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition.
On June 27, Kabalo and Mrindoko pleaded not guilty to charges of publishing false information and providing online content without a license, and were granted bail, those sources said.
During a July 21 hearing, after prosecutors said they were not ready to proceed with the case and several adjournments, the Resident Magistrate Court of Arusha discontinued the case. However, the journalists were immediately re-arrested and presented at a lower district court, also in Arusha, where they were charged with the same offenses and released on bail, those sources said.
Authorities said that on April 23 Wachokonzi breached the Cybercrime Act, which stipulates a penalty of up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to 5 million shillings (US$2,017) for publishing “false, deceptive, misleading or inaccurate” information on social media, according to a copy of the charge sheet, reviewed by CPJ.
The charge sheet did not specify which commentary, only that it criticized Chinese investments in Tanzania and suggested Beijing’s influence was such that the only thing left was to hand over State House, Tanzania’s official presidential residence.
Prosecutors also accused the duo of breaching the Electronic and Postal Communications Act by “uploading and distributing video content to the public” without a license from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, an offense punishable by up to 12 months in prison and/or a fine of up to 5 million shillings (US$2,017).
The podcast has over 180,000 followers on YouTube and 38,000 followers on Facebook.
In mid-September 2025, the case was pending in court, the journalists’ lawyer Simon Mbwambo told CPJ.
As of September 2025, CPJ’s emails requesting comment from the police headquarters and Arusha regional police went unanswered.