Tanzania Election Sparks Protests Amid Fraud Allegations

President Declared Winner Amid Nationwide Protests
International Observers Question Election Integrity
Violent Clashes Rock Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar
Government Cracks Down on Dissent
What’s Next for Tanzania’s Democracy?
Sources

Tanzania Election Sparks Protests as President Declared Winner

In a move that has ignited fury across the East African nation, Tanzania’s National Electoral Commission announced on Friday that incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan has won re-election with over 84% of the vote. The declaration came after days of tense waiting and growing unrest, culminating in violent demonstrations in major cities.

Election monitors and opposition leaders immediately rejected the results, calling them “statistically impossible” and “engineered.” By Saturday morning, protests had erupted in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, and Zanzibar, with police responding using tear gas, water cannons, and—according to eyewitnesses—live ammunition.

International Observers Question Tanzania Election Integrity

The European Parliament issued a rare public statement expressing “deep concern” over irregularities in the vote count, citing blocked access for independent observers, internet blackouts, and ballot stuffing in key constituencies.

“The electoral environment lacked transparency and basic democratic safeguards,” said MEP Marie Toussaint, who led a short-term EU observer mission. “We cannot validate these results.”

Local civil society groups reported that opposition polling agents were barred from over 30% of voting centers, particularly in rural strongholds of the Chadema party, Tanzania’s main opposition.

Violent Clashes Rock Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar

Footage circulating on social media shows demonstrators setting fire to barricades while security forces fire into crowds. In Zanzibar, a historically volatile semi-autonomous region, at least three people were reported killed during Friday night’s unrest.

Hospitals in Dar es Salaam confirmed treating dozens of gunshot wounds, though authorities have not released official casualty figures. Mobile internet services remain disrupted in protest zones, hampering communication and independent reporting.

Government Cracks Down on Dissent

President Hassan’s administration has defended the election as “free, fair, and reflective of the people’s will.” In a televised address, she urged calm but warned against “destabilizing forces” seeking to “import foreign agendas.”

Meanwhile, police have arrested at least 12 opposition figures, including Chadema spokesperson Tundu Lissu, who was detained while attempting to hold a press conference. Several independent news outlets have been temporarily suspended under emergency media regulations.

What’s Next for Tanzania’s Democracy?

Tanzania, once hailed as a beacon of stability in East Africa, now faces a critical test of its democratic institutions. Analysts warn that the erosion of electoral credibility could deepen political polarization and fuel long-term instability.

Civil society leaders are calling for an independent audit of the vote and the immediate release of political detainees. Regional bodies like the African Union and SADC have yet to issue formal statements, drawing criticism from human rights advocates.