Tanzania has reinstated internet access barely a day after it was suspended to curb nationwide unrest during the country’s general elections held on Wednesday, October 29. The polls were marred by violent protests following the exclusion of opposition leader Tundu Lissu from the presidential race.
According to reports, at least 30 people lost their lives in clashes between demonstrators and police across several cities. Despite the restoration of internet services, a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Dar es Salaam remains in effect.
Bloomberg reported that the blackout ended on Thursday, October 30, while the BBC confirmed that the government had instructed public servants to work from home amid escalating chaos. Schools were also shut down as security forces patrolled major urban centres.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, 65, is seeking her first full term and is widely expected to win after key opposition candidates, including Lissu, were disqualified or detained. The decision to bar rivals triggered mass protests in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Dodoma, and other cities, with residents reporting gunfire and heavy police presence overnight.
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According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), voter turnout exceeded 90 percent the highest in over two decades. Preliminary tallies showed Suluhu capturing as much as 95 percent of the vote in several constituencies, including 99.99 percent in Katavi.
However, questions about the credibility of the vote persist as Suluhu’s whereabouts remain unclear. Meanwhile, violence has spilled over to the Kenya-Tanzania border at Namanga, where police opened fire after clashes between Kenyan and Tanzanian youths. Two people, including a Kenyan trader, were confirmed dead.
The opposition has accused Suluhu’s administration of tightening its grip on power through intimidation, media suppression, and the imprisonment of political rivals. Despite a heavy security crackdown, protesters continue to flood the streets, demanding transparency and justice in what many are calling Tanzania’s most contentious election in decades.
