Tanzania is on edge as violent protests erupt across the country following Wednesday’s presidential and parliamentary elections, which opposition groups are calling a complete sham. What began as isolated clashes in Dar es Salaam has now spread to major cities including Mwanza, Dodoma, and Zanzibar, with demonstrators demanding justice, transparency, and the release of jailed opposition figures. Streets have become battlegrounds, and clouds of tear gas have replaced the celebratory fireworks once expected to mark the election’s conclusion.

The unrest erupted almost immediately after the National Electoral Commission began releasing early results showing President Samia Suluhu Hassan leading by a landslide, garnering nearly 95% of the vote in some regions such as Mbea province. For many Tanzanians, that number was not just suspicious; it was insulting. Opposition groups, whose leaders were either disqualified or imprisoned in the months leading up to the election, accused the government of manipulating the outcome to secure Samia’s second term. “This election was stolen before it even began,” said one protester in Dodoma, his face streaked with dust and sweat after hours of confrontation with police.

The chaos has not been confined within Tanzania’s borders. Hundreds of angry demonstrators have crossed into Kenya through the Namanga border post, setting up barricades, lighting bonfires, and tearing down posters of President Samia. Kenyan authorities confirmed that at least two people died after fleeing violent clashes with Tanzanian police. Kenyan businesses near the border have shut down as the government in Nairobi urged its citizens to stay clear of the protests. “The situation is extremely volatile,” said one Kenyan police officer, describing scenes of “utter desperation and chaos.”

Inside Tanzania, the scenes have grown increasingly grim. Gunfire has been reported in the northern city of Mwanza, while in Dar es Salaam, the country’s largest city, heavily armed police and soldiers have taken over major intersections. The road leading to Julius Nyerere International Airport was among several routes closed, according to the U.S. Embassy, leaving travelers stranded. An eyewitness in Mwanza described “hundreds of protesters pouring into the city,” before police responded with gunfire and tear gas. “After barely 10 minutes, we started hearing explosions,” he said. “People were running in every direction. I saw some injured being carried away on motorbikes.”

The government, for its part, is blaming the violence on what it calls “bad characters who wish ill for this country.” Tanzania’s military chief, Gen. Jacob Mkunda, condemned the destruction of property and the loss of life, promising a swift crackdown on “troublemakers.” Yet rights organizations say the blame lies squarely with the authorities. Amnesty International said it was “deeply disturbing” to hear reports that both a police officer and a civilian were killed in Wednesday’s clashes, warning that the government’s heavy-handed tactics could push the nation toward further instability.

Internet access across the country remains heavily restricted, a move rights groups say is aimed at silencing dissent. Social media platforms are nearly inaccessible, forcing protesters to rely on a walkie-talkie app known as Zello to coordinate movements and share information. Amnesty International has called on authorities to restore connectivity immediately, warning that suppressing communication could lead to misinformation and escalate tensions. Meanwhile, the government has ordered civil servants to work from home until Friday as Dar es Salaam and other cities enforce night-time curfews. Hospitals, particularly Muhimbili National Hospital in the capital, have been overwhelmed with injured protesters brought in through the night.

International reaction has been swift and sharp. The European Union has condemned the elections as “a fraud unfolding for months,” describing the process as neither free nor fair. Global observers have highlighted that the opposition’s main figure, Tundu Lissu, remains jailed on treason charges he denies, while another prominent challenger, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party, was disqualified on technical grounds. Sixteen minor parties, none of which have significant support, were left to contest against Samia—making the election effectively one-sided. Critics argue that Tanzania’s ruling party, which has never lost a national vote since independence, has once again used its control of state institutions to maintain power.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who became Tanzania’s first female leader in 2021 following the death of John Magufuli, was once hailed for opening political space after years of repression. But her critics now say those early reforms were short-lived. Under her leadership, they claim, dissent has been met with arrests, intimidation, and disappearances. “She promised change but delivered fear,” said a rights activist in Zanzibar. As the nation braces for what could be days of unrest, Tanzania finds itself at a crossroads—its streets filled with anger, its people demanding a voice, and its government accused of silencing them.

Whether President Samia can restore calm remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the promise of democracy has once again been overshadowed by the sound of gunfire and the crackle of burning barricades. In cities from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, Tanzanians are making one message unmistakably clear: they have had enough of politics without choice, power without accountability, and elections without truth.