EXPLAINER: What’s Happening in Tanzania?

Why are there protests in Tanzania right now?
Because of the presidential election held on October 29, 2025, which many Tanzanians say was neither free nor fair. The vote handed President Samia Suluhu Hassan a stunning 97.66% of the votes, practically wiping out the opposition.

Wait — isn’t Samia Suluhu the first female president of Tanzania?
Yes, she is. In fact, she made history in March 2021 when she took over after the sudden death of President John Magufuli. Until recently, she was one of Africa’s most admired leaders. Born in Zanzibar in 1960, she started her public career as a development officer and later entered politics in the 1990s.

Suluhu rose steadily through the ranks of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, serving as Minister of State and later Vice President under President John Pombe Magufuli. When Magufuli died suddenly in March 2021, Suluhu, then 61, made history by assuming the presidency. Many saw her as a unifying, reform-minded figure. She was considered gentle in tone but someone determined to steer the country toward openness after years of repression.

So what went wrong?
A lot. Over time, her administration began to resemble the one she inherited. She became increasingly intolerant of dissent, restrictive of press freedom, and quick to use “national security” to silence critics.

How did the election go?
Not well. In the run-up to the vote, major opposition leaders were disqualified and detained. The rest, fearing for their lives, were driven underground. On election day, reports surfaced of intimidation and ballot stuffing.

Then, right in the middle of voting, the government cut off the internet. Social media went off. There was also no access to the financial system. For five days, ordinary Tanzanians couldn’t access their money or communicate.

That sounds extreme. Has this happened before?
Yes. The government also blocked internet access during the 2020 general elections, claiming it wanted to “prevent misinformation.” But analysts say it’s about controlling information and limiting coordination among protesters and journalists.

So the protests started after the results?
Exactly. Once the results were announced , people took to the streets in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, and Zanzibar to protest what they called a sham election. Security forces responded with live bullets and tear gas.

Human rights groups say around 700 people may have died, though the government disputes that figure. Still, video evidence and eyewitness accounts show large-scale violence and arrests.

What about the internet now?
It’s been partially restored, but platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter remain restricted. According to NetBlocks, a global internet observatory, Tanzania’s connectivity is still under “heavy filtering.”

What’s been the government’s justification for all this?
Suluhu’s administration says the restrictions are about maintaining law and order and preventing “chaos and fake news.” But critics argue it’s simply a tool of control.

In 2024, her government shut down 80,000 online platforms, accusing them of spreading harmful content. That same year, the Nation Media Group’s Tanzanian website was suspended for “publishing prohibited content.”

So she’s turning into an autocrat?
That’s what many Tanzanians now believe. Ironically, Samia Suluhu came to power promising national unity and reform. Today, many see her as a ruler desperate to retain power, even if it means silencing the very people who once believed in her.

Isn’t this shocking for Tanzania, a country long seen as stable?
Yes, very. Tanzania was once a model of stability in East Africa. Since independence under Julius Nyerere, it avoided the coups and civil wars that plagued its neighbours. Nyerere’s “Ujamaa” (African socialism) fostered a strong national identity and relative peace.

But the ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has been in power since 1961. That’s over 60 years without interruption. That monopoly on power has created what some scholars call “authoritarian stability”, meaning peace without freedom.

What are people saying internationally?
Human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned the violence. Western diplomats are “concerned” (the usual word for such moments) but have not announced sanctions yet.

African observers are divided. Some leaders have congratulated Suluhu, others have stayed silent. I have not seen Nigeria release any statement on Tanzania. Neighbours like Kenya and Uganda are watching closely, worried about refugee flows if unrest continues.

What are ordinary Tanzanians saying?
There’s anger, but also fear. One protester told Le Monde that people “just want to be heard.” Another said, “We thought having a woman in power would change things, but it’s only gotten worse.”

Still, a section of the population, especially in ruling party strongholds, supports Suluhu, seeing her as a stabilizing figure amid regional chaos.

What does this mean for the region?
Tanzania is a key player in East Africa — bordering Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, and the DRC. Instability there could spill over. And when a country with 70 million people blocks the internet for a week, the shockwaves reach its neighbours too.

The more things change, the more it remains the same.