It was supposed to be a day of national pride for Tanzania, marking the country’s 64th Independence Day. Instead, December 9, 2025, unfolded as a stark reminder of the deepening crisis gripping the nation—and the growing regional outrage it has sparked. In Nairobi, a group of Kenyan human rights activists gathered outside the Tanzanian High Commission, holding placards and chanting in solidarity with their neighbors across the border. Their message was clear: demand accountability for what they called mass killings and systematic repression under Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The demonstration, formally notified in advance to Kenyan police, was meant to be peaceful. But as the activists—Fredrick Ojiro, Kelvin Morara, Elisha Alam, Julius Kamau, Lichuma, and Shem—began their petition, police officers in uniform and plainclothes swooped in. The six were handcuffed and taken to Central Police Station, a move that quickly drew condemnation from civil society organizations and rights defenders across the region. As Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid put it, “VOCAL Africa strongly condemns the arrest of its Rapid Response Officer, Fredrick Ojiro, and five other human rights defenders who were peacefully petitioning the Embassy of Tanzania in Kenya today. We urgently call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained, while demanding that the William Ruto administration stop protecting President Samia Suluhu from accountability for these grave human rights violations.”
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) echoed this sentiment, accusing the Kenyan government of shielding President Suluhu from scrutiny. “We demand their immediate and unconditional release, and that the William Ruto regime stop protecting and shielding Suluhu from accountability for grave human rights violations that amount to crimes against humanity,” the KHRC stated, as reported by Nairobi Leo and People Daily Digital.
What led to this moment? The roots of the crisis stretch back to October 29, 2025, when Tanzania held a controversial presidential election. President Suluhu was declared the overwhelming victor, but the opposition and rights groups alleged widespread fraud, intimidation, and violence. Since then, activists claim, the Tanzanian government has unleashed a brutal crackdown. According to statements from the KHRC and other defenders, the violence has resulted in approximately 4,000 deaths, thousands more injured, and countless prosecutions on what they describe as fabricated charges. Some families have reportedly been prevented from burying their loved ones, while others have seen bodies disappear without explanation. Hospitals, too, have not been spared—raided by security forces, with medical workers allegedly threatened or abducted for treating wounded protesters.
“We’re here to express support for the people of Tanzania as they demonstrate against a dictatorship,” activist Geoffrey Mboya explained to Capital FM moments before his arrest. “We are part of the East African Community, and whatever happens in Tanzania affects all of us.” Ojiro, another of the detained activists, was even more direct: “What happened in Tanzania during the elections was shameful and needs to be condemned by everyone.”
Back in Tanzania, the government’s response to dissent has been swift and severe. Authorities banned nationwide demonstrations that activists had planned for Independence Day, citing security risks. Police Spokesperson David Misime insisted that no formal notification had been received for any protests, despite widespread calls on social media. Instead of the usual fanfare and public gatherings, Tanzanians were told to stay home. Major cities like Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mbeya, and Mwanza saw heavy police and military patrols. By midday, the streets were eerily quiet—no protests had begun, but the tension was palpable.
The crackdown extended beyond the streets. Digital blackouts, throttling, and takedowns on platforms such as Meta and X were reported, with activists and journalists alleging that the government was trying to erase evidence of abuses. “This is not disorder; it is a system. When you disappear bodies, raid hospitals, intimidate religious leaders and terrorize communities, you are governing through fear,” said Free Kenya Movement President Bob Njagi during a press briefing, as cited by the Nation. Ojiro Odhiambo, reading out the coalition’s demands, declared, “We demand the immediate cessation of all forms of violence, repression and arbitrary arrests and immediate release of all detainees and dropping of politically-motivated charges, with guaranteed access to legal representation.”
The demands did not stop there. The coalition called for President Suluhu’s resignation, the formation of a transitional government, and the prosecution of security, intelligence, and military officials implicated in the violence. They also insisted on the full restoration of internet access and an end to digital censorship, warning technology companies not to aid the Tanzanian government in tracking and arresting citizens. “Tanzania’s pain is not theirs alone. When one state normalizes violence, the entire region is put at risk,” Njagi warned, highlighting the broader implications for East Africa.
The European Union has weighed in as well, urging President Suluhu to release all political prisoners and return the bodies of victims to their families for burial. Meanwhile, a government-appointed commission in Tanzania tasked with investigating the violence has come under fire for lacking credibility and independence. As Njagi put it, “Suluhu has already predetermined its findings by branding peaceful mobilization as manufactured unrest and framing citizens as threats to national security.”
For many in the region, the cancellation of Tanzania’s Independence Day celebrations was the final straw. Professor Kivutha Kibwana, former Makueni Governor and a vocal supporter of the solidarity protests, criticized the move as unprecedented. “State violence and mass arrests cannot be normalized. Tanzanians deserve democracy, dignity and life,” he said, adding that if Tanzania’s founding father Julius Nyerere could see the current state of affairs, “he would go back to where he has been because it is unheard of.” Kibwana pointed out that if Suluhu truly had the overwhelming support claimed in the election, there would be no need to cancel national celebrations.
The events of December 9, 2025, have underscored a growing sense of urgency among rights defenders and ordinary citizens alike. “The youth across Africa are not ready for dictatorship, even if you kill them, they come back. The solution is not to kill, arrest or torture them. This is a new generation that really wants freedom as it happened during independence,” Kibwana said, channeling the frustrations of a continent weary of authoritarian rule.
As the dust settles on a day that was meant to be a celebration, the fate of the arrested activists remains uncertain. But their message—and the outcry from across East Africa—has made one thing clear: the struggle for accountability and justice in Tanzania is far from over, and its reverberations are being felt far beyond the country’s borders.
