Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Mbagala, Gongo la Mboto, and Kiluvya on Thursday, defying a citywide curfew. Witnesses reported gunfire and heavy police presence across the city, which remained largely cut off from the internet.
Protesters accused authorities of silencing opposition voices after the country’s two main opposition leaders were barred from the election. The Independent National Electoral Commission had earlier disqualified the leading opposition party, Chadema, and its presidential candidate Tundu Lissu, who was arrested and charged with treason following calls for electoral reforms.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took power in 2021, faced only minor challengers in Wednesday’s polls, drawing criticism from civil society and international observers who questioned the credibility of the process.
Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and the United Nations, have raised concerns over increasing political repression, disappearances, and restrictions on media and civil society in Tanzania. The violence comes amid growing unrest across parts of Africa, where prolonged leadership and electoral disputes have sparked waves of public anger.