To better their communities, two Tanzanian artists resort to opposition politics.

In the final 24 hours before October 28 general election voters cast their ballots, two prominent Tanzanian artists are stepping up their campaigns for parliamentary seats in Tanzania’s national assembly by substituting talks for songs.

Bagamoyo-born Vitali Maembe is a well-liked folk musician, activist, and educator. He is a candidate for the Bagamoyo Pwani District seat in parliament (MP), supporting the opposition Alliance for Change and Transparency-Wazalendo (ACT-Wazalendo). The Bagamoyo-based reggae musician Jhikoman, whose real name is Jhikolabwino Siza Manyika, is a candidate for MP, representing ACT-Wazalendo in Nyasa, Ruvuma, Zitto Kabwe, head of the opposition, uses ACT-Wazalendo, a democratic socialist party that was founded in May 2014, as his political vehicle. The party’s primary agenda items are health care, education, social security, and participatory economics.

Speaking with Global Voices over WhatsApp, Maembe states that following a lengthy career as an activist who exposes corruption in Tanzanian politics through his music, he made the decision to seek for a seat in the national assembly “some months ago.” He made the decision to go official on June 29 after picking up his ACT membership card at their Ilala, Dar es Salaam, headquarters. Maembe was listed as one of 198 ACT-Wazalendo contenders for representative positions by August. There are 390 seats in Tanzania’s national assembly, 264 of which are chosen by constituencies.southern Tanzania, the birthplace of his parents.