On Wednesday, Tanzania held presidential elections, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan participating in voting. The elections triggered protests in various parts of the country, leading to curfew hours and internet shutdowns in some areas.
Some citizens expressed concerns about how the elections were conducted, citing inequalities in campaigning. The elections took place amid challenges for opposition members, some of whom were arrested or denied the right to participate in the electoral process.
In the lead-up to the elections, Tundu Lissu, a politician from the Chadema party who had previously opposed CCM, was detained on charges of plotting against the state and remains in prison. Lissu had survived a 2017 assassination attempt, during which he was shot 16 times, and later returned to Tanzania in 2023 after a period in exile.
Many Tanzanians viewed Tundu Lissu as a candidate capable of challenging President Samia Suluhu Hassan, citing concerns about human rights violations under her administration.
On election day, President Samia Suluhu Hassan arrived at a polling station to find few voters present, prompting her to call on citizens via national television to participate freely, emphasizing that the elections were being conducted transparently.
In recent days, John H, the deputy leader of the Chadema party, attempted to attend the funeral of Raila Odinga, but was denied entry at the border and detained. Subsequent protests in Tanzania and Kenya demanded his immediate release, and he was eventually freed.
A Tanzanian intelligence officer, Captain Tasha, recently released footage claiming that the Tanzanian military should seize power and conduct a thorough investigation into the death of President Pombe Magufuri. Following the footage, the officer was removed from the military and went missing.
On Thursday morning, protests continued to spread across the country, with demonstrators vandalizing property and setting fire to buildings belonging to CCM campaigners.
