How Tanzania has intensified crackdown as vote counting begins

The Tanzanian government has directed all public servants across the country to work from home on Thursday, October 30, 2025, following a security advisory issued by the national police for residents of Dar es Salaam.

In a public notice issued by Chief Government Spokesperson and Permanent Secretary, Gerson Msigwa, the government stated that only those whose duties require physical presence at their workstations should report, as instructed by their supervisors.

“Following a security alert issued by the Police Force to residents of Dar es Salaam, the government directs that on October 30, 2025, all public servants work from home, except those whose duties demand their presence at the office,” the statement reads in Swahili.

The directive further advises private-sector employers to take similar precautions and allow their employees to work remotely.

Citizens who have no urgent reason to leave their homes have also been urged to remain indoors and conduct their activities from home.

The announcement comes amid heightened security in Dar es Salaam, where police earlier issued alerts urging vigilance and caution.

Election Day Violence

Tanzania’s election day was marred by widespread violence and unrest that claimed the lives of a civilian and a police officer, leading authorities to immediately impose a strict curfew on the country’s commercial capital.

The city of Dar es Salaam was placed under a 6:00 PM to 6:00 PM curfew following confrontations between security forces and demonstrators who had gathered across the city and other key regions, including areas near the Tanzania-Zambia border. 

Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Jumanne Muliro did not specify when the curfew would be lifted.

The mass protests erupted to demand electoral reforms and were a vocal opposition to the ongoing polls, which demonstrators claim excluded key opposition figures. 

Prominent opposition leaders in Tanzania include Tundu Lissu of Chadema, who is detained and Luhangga Mpina of the Wazalendo party.

Protests turned destructive along Morogoro Road, where demonstrators were seen lighting fires on roads, vandalising buses and bus terminals, and destroying campaign posters.

Speaking from the streets, protesters expressed profound grievances, with one stating their demands included freedom of opinion, an end to abductions and freedom of the media.

International Condemnation and Security Measures

The fatal confrontations, which resulted in the death of one civilian and one police officer, were termed "deeply disturbing" by Amnesty International. 

The human rights organisation went on to warn that the risk of further escalation was high and urged the police to exercise restraint and refrain from using unnecessary and excessive force against protesters.

The curfew, which requires all citizens to be in their homes from 6:00 PM, was put in place to suppress the demonstrations that threatened to spill into the night as vote counting got underway. 

Authorities confirmed that only members of the police and other security forces would be allowed on the city's streets during the curfew hours.

In the hours leading up to the unrest, the Suluhu administration had also implemented an internet shutdown as voting commenced, a measure that was reported to have paralysed communication across most key regions of the country. 

Earlier in the day, President Samia Suluhu Hassan cast her vote and called on Tanzanians to maintain peace and turn up in large numbers to participate in the democratic process.

The electoral body is expected to announce the winner once vote counting is concluded, but the day's tragic events have cast a long shadow over the outcome and the country's immediate political future.