Tanzania Plunges into Darkness as Internet Blackout, Violence Follow Disputed Election

When Tanzanians went to the polls on October 29, 2025, the world’s attention turned to the nation that gave East Africa its first female president, Samia Suluhu Hassan. But days later, the country stands isolated without power, without internet, and without answers

Suluhu’s re-election, which the national electoral body announced with a 98% victory margin, came amid accusations of democratic suppression and a violent crackdown on opposition figures. Chadema Party leader Tundu Lissu was arrested months before the election and charged with treason, effectively leaving Suluhu unopposed

As polls closed, the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) cut live coverage and switched to routine programming. Soon after, curfews were imposed in Dar es Salaam, the military deployed, and both electricity and internet services went down across major cities

With communications severed, reports of casualties from post-election violence remain unverifiable. Opposition figures claim that more than 700 people have been killed since protests erupted, though independent verification has been impossible

International media and observers have been denied entry or accreditation, while falsehoods and AI-generated images now fill social media feeds in neighboring countries

Foreign governments, including the UK and the U.S., have issued travel advisories warning of shortages of food, fuel, and cash. Some foreign nationals report being stranded in Tanzania due to flight cancellations and transport paralysis

Global leaders have urged calm. The African Union and the United Nations have called for dialogue, restraint, and respect for human rights. Pope Leo XIV has also appealed for peace, urging Tanzanians to “avoid all forms of violence and follow the path of dialogue’

President Suluhu is expected to be sworn in privately at the State House in Dodoma away from the public and the cameras that once celebrated her historic rise

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For now, Tanzania remains in darkness its people disconnected, its democracy uncertain, and the truth trapped behind a blackout

 Writer : Mweru Mbugua