Kenyan political scholar Prof. Peter Kagwanja has sounded alarm over Tanzania’s growing instability following Wednesday’s disputed elections, warning that the country’s long-standing image as a pillar of peace and democracy in East Africa is crumbling.
Speaking on Citizen TV on Thursday night, Prof. Kagwanja said the violent protests and chaos witnessed across Tanzania in the aftermath of the polls reveal a deeper political and economic malaise that President Samia Suluhu’s administration must urgently confront.
“My imagination of Tanzania was shattered,” Kagwanja said. “The current situation is neither new nor over yet. President Suluhu is facing a double tragedy: the economy is not doing well, and the country’s democracy is on a downward spiral into authoritarianism.”
Since election day, demonstrations have erupted in several cities, with opposition supporters alleging widespread irregularities and state interference. Internet blackouts and media restrictions have further fueled suspicion, drawing criticism from regional observers and human rights organizations.
According to Kagwanja, these developments signal a dangerous drift toward repression that threatens to undo decades of Tanzania’s democratic progress.
“What we are seeing is a pattern where regimes revert to control and coercion when legitimacy weakens,” he observed, urging regional leaders not to remain silent.
He called on the East African Community (EAC) and the African Union (AU) to intervene diplomatically to prevent the crisis from escalating.
“Tanzania’s stability is vital to the region,” he emphasized. “If its democratic foundations collapse, the ripple effects will be felt across East Africa.”
As protests continue into a third day, the government faces mounting pressure both domestically and internationally to restore calm, open dialogue, and reaffirm its commitment to democratic governance.
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