Kingunge was an active member and a leader in the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), the political party which strove for and gained the independence of Tanganyika on December 9, 1961.
Later, Kingunge was also among the key figures on the process of joining TANU and the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP) of Zanzibar, resulting in the founding of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
He was known for taking oaths without using any holy book, such as the Bible or the Quran.
Instead, he would take the oaths for his governmental positions by using the Tanzanian Constitution.
[6][failed verification] After several years as the head of the CCM, Ngombale–Mwiru abruptly left the party in 2015.