President Samia’s recent remarks on the malfunction of the police force are a red flag to Inspector General Police (ICP) that place his position into office in limbo.

The remarks followed after receiving the multi-party stakeholders report on March 21, 2022, at Magogoni statehouse in Dar es Salaam. President Samia directed her disappointments toward two bodies, the police force and Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), a situation signalling imminent restructuring of the two bodies. 

Samia’s resentments upon the police force sufficed to discern the dwindling of Sirro’s days into office. “I believe that there’s more to check into the police force. We are obliged to speak the truth. I know they [Police force] hate when you say the truth, they go to talk behind your back, but we must always say” – President Samia. 

President Samia and Sirro for some time have developed a sore relationship, following a spiral of unpleasant acts committed by the police force that rendered to the magnitude of public resentments. The two have subtly attacked one another, with each showcasing their displeasure over the other.

On March 11, 2022, CCM Secretary for Ideology and Publicity Shaka Hamdu Shaka posted on Instagram about the need to form a committee to probe the police force following the magnitude of public resentments on the state apparatus. CDE Shaka posted on Instagram soon after CCM’s central committee meeting that President Samia chaired in Dodoma. An incidence that poise red lights to Sirro’s future into office.

On February 18, 2022, 2 minutes and 54 seconds video circulated on Twitter showing Sirro spitting his anger upon those rebuking the Police’s force function. “It is okay to hate someone, you can hate me as a person, maybe because I have wronged you, but never hate the institution,” – Said said in that video. (short version)

“Sirro may one day leave, but the institution’s importance will always be there. If you hate Sirro, hate Sirro for what he’s doing, not the institution because it is doing a great job” – Sirro added. 

On January 5, 2022, a policeman killed a businessman named Hamisi Luponda and stole his 70 million in the Mtwara region. Poor handling of the case by the police force plummeted the already sored relationship between Samia and Sirro into more darkness.

President Samia was not satisfied by the Police’s response to the killings of the businessman on Mtwara. 

“I heard someone was killed in Mtwara, and the information I have is that the Police is responsible for that death. The Police can’t kill someone, then the same body to form the committee to investigate the incidence,” – Samia said on February 4, 2022, while addressing the public at Magu in Mwanza region when she was heading to Mara region. 

President shifted her frustration to Hon Hamad Masauni, the minister of internal affairs, following his failure to speak on the matter; instead, he and the Police discreetly formed the committee to probe the case. “I want your police force to re-assess itself, they think what happened is within moral ethics of the police force”, – Said said to Masauni.

After Samia delivered her speech on February 4, 2022, at Magu-Mwanza, a week and a half later on February 18, 2022, IGP Sirro lashed back to what seemed to express his anger over president Samia’s lack of appreciation to Police’s force hard work.

 “I expected one would appreciate the work we have done [referring the Mtwara case] if you cannot trust your own body [police], you cannot even see the work they have done until they found the body, then it is not an easy job” – Sirro said

Sirro expressed his frustration following comments against the police force for clumsily handling different cases and the record of aggressive law enforcement. “The problem is everyone thinks is an investigator, it is not an easy job. We are risking our lives making sure our people’s peace, their lives and properties are protected,” – Sirro added.

President Samia directed the Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, to form an independent committee to probe the killing of a businessman in Mtwara. Despite the committee’s completion of the work, the report hasn’t yet been disclosed to the public.

There are plenty of speculations online that pose questions on Sirro’s future as head of the Police force following recent feud with the president and misconduct of the police force. (See more). However, Sirro’s speed to being replaced will increase because he’s one of the last few leftovers of previous regime hardliners that Samia is allegedly discarding from her system.