Tanzania Imposes Curfew as Election Day Ends in Violence, Internet Shutdown, and Low Turnout

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, October 29 – The Tanzanian Government on Wednesday evening imposed a curfew in Dar es Salaam indefinitely, following a tense election day marred by violent protests, widespread unrest, and a near-total internet shutdown.

According to Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Jumanne Muliro, the curfew took effect from 6:00 p.m., though he did not specify when it would be lifted. Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Alfred Chalamila echoed Muliro’s directive, warning that police would deal firmly with anyone attempting to disrupt public order.

“Even if you see propaganda of any kind on social media about any area of the Dar es Salaam region, know that the power used to control the matter will be seven times greater than the force applied to plan it,” Chalamila cautioned in a televised briefing.

The announcement capped a day of escalating tension as Tanzania’s general election descended into chaos. Violence flared in the commercial capital, voter turnout was alarmingly low, and connectivity across the country was crippled. Analysts say the developments have left the nation deeply divided and disillusioned with a democratic process critics claim was compromised long before ballots were cast.

Adding to the turmoil, NetBlocks, a global internet monitor, confirmed a nationwide disruption to internet connectivity, corroborating reports of a digital blackout that began around midday as violence erupted. The outage came as Tanzanians voted for a new president and parliament, in an election where both main opposition parties were barred from participating.

The day’s chaos, concentrated in the restive neighborhoods of Dar es Salaam, stood in stark contrast to the calm, orderly image the government had sought to project. It exposed deep tensions simmering beneath the surface of a poll already marked by fear, arrests, and disillusionment. By the early hours of Wednesday, what was meant to be a national exercise in civic duty had morphed into scenes of protest and panic. Multiple credible local sources reported that voting was violently disrupted in key parts of the city, including the districts of Ubungo and Kimara.

In Dar es Salaam, multiple polling stations in Ubungo, Kimara, and near Mlimani City Mall, a typically bustling commercial hub of Tanzania were reportedly attacked and set ablaze by unidentified groups early morning. Eyewitnesses and independent bloggers said voting had not taken place in some areas by midday, as police moved in to restore order. Unverified videos and witness accounts on social media, despite internet restrictions, showed several polling stations engulfed in flames. Angry youths barricaded streets with burning tires, and the sound of gunfire was heard in some areas, though the extent of casualties remains unknown. The deployment of military tanks and a heavy police presence in the city prior to the vote, intended as a deterrent, appeared to have instead fueled an atmosphere of intimidation and fear.

Nationwide unrest and growing defiance

Across the country, tensions ran high as voting drew to a close in an election already marred by violence, low turnout, and distrust. In Dar es Salaam, protesters filled the streets chanting anti-CCM slogans and denouncing what they called a “stolen election.” The chants, which echoed through several neighborhoods from midmorning into the afternoon, set the tone for a day marked by defiance and unrest.

Demonstrators were seen blocking roads and dismantling polling tents. A video shared online showed young men carrying away chairs from a polling station while shouting, “Hiki ni kituo cha kupigia kura. Hamna kupigia kura hapa,” meaning “This is a polling station – there is no voting here.” Police responded with teargas to disperse crowds, while tanks and heavily armed officers were stationed around key areas in the commercial capital. Authorities had earlier warned that demonstrations would not be tolerated.

Voter turnout remained notably low across much of the country, particularly in Dar es Salaam, where several polling stations stayed nearly empty for hours after opening. Many residents said they feared possible violence or arrests if they ventured out to vote.

Observers and analysts linked the low participation to widespread voter apathy and frustration following the jailing, intimidation, and disqualification of key opposition figures ahead of the polls. International observer missions from the African Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the East African Community (EAC) are monitoring the election amid mounting concerns over Tanzania’s shrinking political space and the government’s intolerance of dissent.

The Tanzania Broadcasting Initiative (TBI), a key domestic observer group, made the extraordinary decision to pull its monitors from the streets. In an internal communique, the organization cited grave concerns that its observers “could be mistaken for Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) officials” and targeted by angry mobs – a telling indicator of the level of public animosity towards the electoral body.

Compounding the information vacuum, internet access across large parts of Dar es Salaam and the country was severely throttled or shut down entirely by midday. The digital blackout, a tactic increasingly common in authoritarian contexts during periods of unrest, effectively blinded the nation, stifled independent journalism, and left panicked citizens reliant on virtual private networks (VPNs) and fragmented social media updates for news.

While smoke rose in Ubungo, a different kind of protest was reported across the country: a deafening silence at the polls. In a dramatic departure from previous elections, where long, snaking queues were a common sight, many polling stations in Dar es Salaam, including in typically busy areas, were described as “virtually empty” by journalists just an hour after opening.

A ruling CCM official in Makaburini near Kilimani district, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted to the crisis, told AFP, “We are going to mobilise people from the streets and their homes to come and vote… We need to rescue the situation because some are hesitating.” The word “hesitating” belied the palpable fear and deliberate boycott witnessed on the ground.

For many, the fear of violence was paramount. “I could not go out today because of fear of violence,” said Saada, a 40-year-old food vendor in Dar es Salaam, her sentiment echoing that of countless others who chose safety over suffrage.

However, on the streets of Dar es Salaam, peace seemed distant. Voters at Buyuni in Ubungo district described confusion and fear as some polling stations remained closed or deserted. For others, the boycott was a political statement. With their champion, the fiery opposition leader Tundu Lissu, imprisoned on treason charges and his CHADEMA party disqualified from the presidential race, many voters saw no legitimate choice.

In random interviews, at least 15 voters who did turn out confessed to a tactical form of protest: voting for local councilors and members of parliament while deliberately “spoiling” their presidential ballot – invalidating it by marking it incorrectly or writing in Lissu’s name – to register their discontent without fully participating in a contest they view as illegitimate. “What’s the point of voting when the real choice is behind bars?” asked one voter.

The official narrative, propagated by state-aligned media, presented a picture of serene patriotism. Photographs released by CCM showed the party’s presidential candidate, incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan, 65, calmly casting her vote in Chamwino Village, Dodoma. “The presidential candidate for Tanzania through Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, has participated in the voting exercise in Chamwino Village, Dodoma region,” the captions read.

Her running mate, Ambassador Dr. Emmanuel Nchimbi, was similarly depicted participating in the “exercise of casting a vote for the President, MP, and Councilor” in the Kilimani area of Dodoma. These staged visuals of normalcy in the political capital stood in jarring contrast to the reality unfolding in the economic capital, Dar es Salaam, highlighting the vast gulf between the political elite and the urban populace.

To understand the fury on the streets of Dar es Salaam, one must look at the events leading up to election day. President Samia, who ascended to power in 2021 following the death of her authoritarian predecessor John Magufuli, was initially hailed as a reformer. She eased restrictions on the media and allowed opposition rallies to resume, fostering a brief period of hope known as the “Samia Spring.”

However, as the election neared, that spring froze over. A systematic crackdown ensued, described by Amnesty International as a “wave of terror” featuring “enforced disappearance and torture… and extrajudicial killings of opposition figures and activists.”

Zanzibar: Calm but clouded

In the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, which voted a day earlier (Tuesday) in a special early exercise, the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) reported a peaceful and orderly process. ZEC Chairperson George Joseph Kazi acknowledged minor hiccups, such as a missing voter register at Kijitoupele Polling Station, but overall praised the conduct of the vote. However, the exclusion of independent civil society observers on the islands raised significant concerns about transparency, with many fearing that any tensions in Zanzibar would only surface when results are announced.

The mainland election has been characterized by widespread voter apathy, attributed to the exclusion or imprisonment of key opposition figures. Main opposition leader Lissu is currently facing treason charges, while another major challenger, Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo, was disqualified on technical grounds.

The scenes of burning polling stations, including police station the empty voting booths, and the silenced internet tell a story of a population that feels its democratic voice has been stolen. The government’s pre-election crackdown may have secured a short-term political victory, but it has likely sown the seeds for prolonged instability and deep-seated resentment. The question now is not just who won the election, but what remains of Tanzania’s democratic fabric in its aftermath.

By the time polls closed at 4 p.m., and counting was set to begin, Tanzania was already shrouded in internet darkness and a cloud of mistrust. The country now stands at a critical crossroads. While most analysts see President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s and CCM’s victory as a foregone conclusion, the legitimacy of that win appears deeply – perhaps irreparably, compromised.