Protests have erupted across Tanzania following the October 29 election, which many citizens alleged was rigged 🇹🇿

 Protests have erupted across Tanzania following the October 29 election, which many citizens alleged was rigged 🇹🇿

Protests have swept across Tanzania following the October 29 election, triggering public outrage in cities like Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Mbeya where demonstrators accuse the government of engineering the result. Scores of young people flooded the streets chanting slogans like “We want our country back,” while state security forces moved in with tanks, tear gas and curfews in a massive show of force. Experts say the unrest reflects deep frustration among a generation that was never part of a fair contest, the two main opposition parties were either barred or heavily sidelined.

Videos circulating online show burning police stations, vandalised polling stations, and a nation going quiet as the internet was disrupted. According to watchdogs, nationwide connectivity dropped sharply as the vote unfolded, making independent reporting nearly impossible. Amnesty International has warned of a “wave of terror,” citing enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings of political critics over the past months. These actions, they say, create a climate of fear rather than free choice.

Invoking historical rule by the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), analysts point out that Tanzania’s election environment has long tilted in favour of the party in power. This time is different: the depth of frustration is rising and the stakes are high for both the government and citizens. The current push for change, powered by social media-savvy youth and growing civic awareness, could mark a turning point in Tanzanian politics.

Still, the government maintains the elections were free and fair and has pledged to maintain stability. Whether dialogue, reform or further repression follows will largely determine the country’s trajectory in the coming weeks.

Will the voices of the people be heard, or will they be silenced?