By Njoroge David
A nationwide internet blackout has hit Tanzania as citizens voted in presidential and parliamentary elections on Wednesday, with protests and sporadic violence reported in several areas.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed that “live network data show a nationwide disruption to internet connectivity in Tanzania on election day,” underscoring widespread reports of a digital blackout.
Voting began Wednesday morning, but confusion and tension filled some polling stations after delays in opening and a lack of communication channels.
In Mwanza and parts of Dar es Salaam, protesters clashed with security forces after alleging irregularities in ballot handling and the absence of opposition agents.
Police fired tear gas to disperse crowds, though no casualties had been reported by evening.
Opposition leader Tundu Lissu remains in detention, his camp said, after authorities barred his party from contesting the poll.
Lissu, who has survived past assassination attempts, was among several opposition figures jailed or restricted ahead of the vote, drawing international concern over fairness and political freedom.
Observers noted that the blackout and arrests have deepened fears of a tightly controlled electoral process under President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has dominated Tanzanian politics since independence.
Civil society groups warned that silencing dissent and cutting internet access may erode public trust in the results.
“The combination of digital shutdowns and opposition crackdowns threatens to erase transparency,” noted a regional election observer in Dar es Salaam.
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority has not commented on the internet disruption, though similar shutdowns were reported in past elections, often justified as efforts to curb misinformation.
