Police in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city, fired gunshots and teargas on Thursday, October 30, 2025, to disperse protesters who defied a curfew and returned to the streets a day after a controversial general election marked by widespread unrest and allegations of political repression, a Reuters correspondent reported.
Demonstrations erupted in Dar es Salaam and several other cities on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, following outrage over the exclusion of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s two major challengers from the presidential race. Protesters accused the government of silencing dissent and tightening its grip on political expression.
Authorities swiftly imposed an overnight curfew across the coastal city of more than seven million residents, while internet access remained heavily disrupted nationwide.
Tanzanian human rights activist Tito Magoti told Reuters he had received reports indicating at least five deaths during Wednesday’s protests. A diplomatic source, who requested anonymity, said there were credible accounts that “at least 10 people had been killed in Dar es Salaam alone.”
Independent verification of casualties was not immediately possible, as neither government nor police spokespeople responded to multiple requests for comment. Meanwhile, the state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation made only brief references to the unrest, instead focusing on provisional election results showing President Hassan winning overwhelming majorities across several constituencies.
Renewed Protests and Security Crackdown
By Thursday morning, crowds had regrouped in several neighbourhoods, including Mbagala, Gongo la Mboto, and Kiluvya, where police once again deployed teargas and fired warning shots, according to Reuters witnesses.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed that some international flights to and from Julius Nyerere International Airport had been cancelled. Airports in Arusha and near Mount Kilimanjaro were also temporarily closed amid security concerns.
On the walkie-talkie-style communication app Zello, protesters discussed organising new demonstrations, including plans to march on government offices.
“The people are rewriting our political culture from being cows, if I use this word respectfully, to being active citizens,” Magoti said. “That was the perception long ago, that Tanzanians are peaceful and not confrontational.”
A Test for President Hassan’s Leadership
The unrest represents a major challenge for President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was once praised for loosening restrictions on political opposition and media freedoms following the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, in 2021.
However, in recent years, rights groups and opposition figures have accused her administration of reversing those reforms. Reports of enforced disappearances and harassment of critics have resurfaced, deepening fears of renewed authoritarianism.
President Hassan said last year that she had ordered an investigation into the alleged abductions, but no official findings have been released to date.
Government Orders Civil Servants to Stay Home
In a statement posted on Instagram, government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa directed all civil servants to work from home on Thursday, except those in essential roles.
Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, had earlier called for nationwide demonstrations, condemning the election as a “coronation” rather than a democratic contest.
The electoral commission had disqualified CHADEMA in April for refusing to sign a code of conduct, while its leader, Tundu Lissu, faces treason charges. Another opposition figure from ACT-Wazalendo was also barred, leaving only minor parties to challenge Hassan’s candidacy.
The disputed election and ensuing crackdown underscore Tanzania’s fragile political climate, with growing discontent over restricted political freedoms and alleged electoral manipulation. As President Hassan moves toward another term, her administration faces mounting pressure at home and abroad to restore confidence in the country’s democratic institutions.
