In the wake of Tanzania’s most turbulent election in recent memory, the country finds itself at a crossroads. As President Samia Suluhu Hassan embarks on her second and final term, the nation is reeling from a wave of unrest, mass arrests, and a mounting political crisis that has drawn international scrutiny and left ordinary citizens grappling with daily uncertainty.
The October 29, 2025, election saw President Samia declared the winner with a staggering 98 percent of the vote, a result the opposition swiftly denounced as fraudulent, according to Mission Network News. The aftermath was swift and brutal: protests erupted across the country, met with a heavy-handed response from security forces. The United Nations human rights office reports that hundreds of protestors have been killed, while many more have been detained. At least 340 people have been arrested in seven towns, with the largest numbers in Dar es Salaam and Iringa, court records show. Of these, 302 now face treason charges, the gravest crime under Tanzanian law, carrying the possibility of the death penalty.
The crackdown has swept up a broad swath of society. Those charged include politicians, business owners, local celebrities, farmers, and even children as young as thirteen, Eastleigh Voice reports. Among them is Jennifer Jovin, a 26-year-old influencer known to her millions of followers as ‘Niffer.’ Jovin’s arrest in late October, after she participated in a TikTok trend that mocked President Samia, has become a lightning rod for public outrage. Authorities say she incited resistance by encouraging protestors to buy gas masks to protect themselves from police tear gas, an act officials claim amounts to inciting rebellion and conspiracy to commit treason. Her mother, Mwanaisha Isaac, has publicly pleaded with President Samia for leniency, saying the family depends on Jennifer for survival. “I disapprove of what she did, but I beg for compassion and a second chance,” Isaac said, her voice echoing the desperation of many Tanzanian families caught in the crossfire.
Jovin’s case is not unique. Other content creators, including Mika Chavala, Ms_Walterss, Ruthmelda Silaa (known online as strong_income), and detha_obven, are also among those facing prosecution. The Tanganyika Law Society has stepped in to provide free legal aid to the detainees as their cases wind through the courts. The legal definition of treason in Tanzania is sweeping: it covers attempts to kill the president or wage war against the country, whether inside or outside its borders.
Meanwhile, the main opposition party, Chadema, has found itself under siege. Its deputy leader, John Heche, was detained and later released on bail, joining other opposition figures who have faced arrest. Heche was unequivocal in rejecting claims that Chadema had entered into talks with the government regarding their release. “As we were arrested, so were we released; no discussions were held with anyone, and we have not reached any agreements regarding our release. We still believe we are innocent, and we want all those who were detained unlawfully to be released and returned to their families,” Heche stated, as reported by Eastleigh Voice.
The climate of fear has driven some opposition leaders and supporters to flee the country entirely. A group of Chadema members, including committee member Rose Mayemba, crossed into Kenya seeking political asylum, arriving in Nairobi on November 12, 2025. Their stories are harrowing. Mayemba described a campaign of targeted violence carried out by both uniformed and plainclothes officers: “They were not only killing people who protested. There were police and people dressed in civilian clothes going door to door, knocking, and if you were found to be a young person, you were killed. It was more than just protests,” she said, according to People Daily. John Pambalu, Chadema’s Director of Training, accused the administration of President Samia of “brutality and intimidation against dissenters,” warning that “the nation of Tanzania is passing through the valley of the shadow of death.”
The asylum seekers have appealed to the Kenyan government and the international community for protection, fearing for the lives of those still in Tanzania. Their flight underlines a growing concern over the country’s political climate, with human rights groups expected to intensify calls for regional intervention.
The unrest has not only shaken the political elite but also upended daily life for ordinary Tanzanians. Shops and markets have shuttered, leaving families struggling to obtain basic goods. “When there is unrest in the country… shops will not open,” Egide Bandyatuyaga of Trans World Radio (TWR) told Mission Network News. “The market — on which many people rely for the purchase of the goods they use at home — will also not open. So the ordinary people [are] affected.”
In the midst of chaos, TWR has continued broadcasting gospel hope in multiple languages across Tanzania, even reaching remote areas. Bandyatuyaga sees a silver lining in the crisis: “When people are faced with difficulties, there is this tendency of being open to the Gospel because, for example, if someone is desperate or he can’t find any other solution to his problem, he tends to turn to divine intervention.” TWR has asked for prayers and support as it seeks to reach more Tanzanians during this fraught period.
Against this backdrop, President Samia has moved to shore up her administration’s image and reassure international partners. On November 13, she appointed Dr. Mwigulu Lameck Nchemba, a 50-year-old economist and her finance minister since 2021, as the new prime minister. The move is widely seen as an attempt to restore confidence amid skepticism over the legitimacy of her election, which was marred by the exclusion of credible opposition rivals — many of whom were jailed or disqualified. Nchemba’s experience, especially in economic diplomacy, is expected to be central to Samia’s efforts to overcome the fallout from the election and reset Tanzania’s standing on the world stage, according to The East African.
The new parliament convened in Dodoma on November 12, with the swearing-in of MPs, election of Mussa Azzan Zungu as speaker, and confirmation of the prime minister’s appointment. President Samia is slated to deliver a keynote State of the Union address, with the nation waiting to hear how she will address the election’s aftermath and the path forward.
As Tanzania stands at this pivotal moment, the stories of those detained, exiled, or silenced serve as a stark reminder of the stakes — not just for the country’s political future, but for the lives and freedoms of its people.
