Tanzania Seeks Arrest of US-Based Activist Over Alleged Election Violence Posts

Tanzania has vowed to arrest a US-based activist, Mange Kimambi, for posting disturbing photos and videos online allegedly showing victims of election-related violence

President Samia Suluhu was declared the winner of the October 29, 2025 election with 98 percent of the vote, a result the opposition dismissed as fraudulent. Protests broke out nationwide on election day, prompting an internet blackout that made independent verification of events difficult

Kimambi, who has 2.5 million followers on Instagram and nearly 400,000 on X, has been sharing graphic footage she claims depicts police brutality and civilian killings in cities such as Mwanza

AFP’s fact-checking team found some of the visuals had no prior online presence and contained identifiable Tanzanian details such as road signs and Swahili-language text

Opposition party Chadema estimates that at least 800 people were killed, with sources suggesting the real number could be much higher. Tanzanian authorities have not confirmed any official death toll but expressed regret over “lost lives”

Attorney General Hamza Johari said Thursday that Kimambi would be arrested and possibly extradited to Tanzania. “We must arrest her. Let’s see if we have an extradition agreement with the United States to bring her here,” he stated

Kimambi dismissed his comments, calling him an “idiot” and accusing the government of targeting her instead of those responsible for the killings

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Police have warned citizens against sharing images that could “create panic or humiliate people.” Rights activists, including Tito Magoti, say the government is using fear tactics to silence dissent

Despite the threats, Kimambi has continued posting, insisting that Tanzanians are personally sending her the images to expose what they describe as state-sponsored violence

Writerb: Mweru Mbugua