Widespread protests have erupted across major cities in Tanzania as opposition supporters reject Wednesday’s presidential and parliamentary elections, calling the process a sham, according to a BBC report on Thursday.
Hundreds of demonstrators reportedly crossed into Kenyan territory, blocking roads, setting bonfires, and tearing down posters of President Samia Hassan. Kenyan police confirmed that two people died after clashes with Tanzanian security forces near the border.
Opposition groups accuse the government of undermining democracy, citing the jailing of the main opposition leader and the disqualification of another key challenger moves seen as strengthening President Samia’s grip on power.
The BBC reports that tensions intensified on Thursday after early election results showed President Samia securing nearly 95% of the vote in the south-western Mbeya Province, and leading in several other constituencies across the mainland and Zanzibar.
European Union lawmakers condemned the election as a “fraud,” alleging irregularities that had been “unfolding for months.” Election day itself was marked by violent confrontations between opposition supporters and police.
Tanzanian military chief Gen. Jacob Mkunda blamed “bad characters who wish ill for this country” for the violence and property damage during the polls.
Gunfire was reported in Mwanza, while clashes broke out in Dodoma and Dar es Salaam, where major roads were blocked under tight security. Kenya has urged its citizens to avoid protests in the border town of Namanga, where business activities were disrupted.
Tanzanian police fired tear gas to disperse protesters engaged in running battles throughout the day. The US Embassy in Tanzania reported that several key routes, including the road to Dar es Salaam International Airport, remained closed.
An eyewitness in Mwanza told the BBC he saw hundreds of protesters pouring into the city before hearing gunfire and tear gas explosions. “We saw some injured people being evacuated,” he said.
The government has ordered civil servants to work from home until Friday as tensions escalate. Amnesty International described reports of civilian and police deaths as “deeply disturbing.”
A night-time curfew has been imposed in Dar es Salaam. Sources told the BBC that Muhimbili Hospital received a surge of injured patients. Internet access across Tanzania remains severely restricted, a move Amnesty warns could heighten tensions further. The rights group urged authorities to restore full access to information.
Protesters have reportedly turned to a walkie-talkie app called Zello to coordinate their next moves.
President Samia, who became Tanzania’s first female leader in 2021 following the death of John Magufuli, is widely expected to secure a second term. Her ruling party, which has never lost an election since independence, faces only minor opposition after several major candidates were barred.
Tundu Lissu, the main opposition leader, remains jailed on treason charges he denies, while his party boycotted the vote. Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party, seen as the only serious rival, was disqualified on legal grounds.
President Samia was initially praised for easing repression compared to her predecessor, but critics now accuse her administration of shrinking democratic space through arrests and abductions of dissenters.
Advertisement
