Tanzanian public servants told to work from home amid Election unrest

Zitto Kabwe, the opposition ACT Wazalendo candidate for the Kigoma Urban parliamentary seat, casts his ballot at the Kisangani voting centre in Kigoma, on October 29, 2025, during Tanzania’s presidential elections.[AFP]

The Tanzanian government has directed public servants to work from home, after police imposed a 6 pm curfew in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, following unrest sparked amid the elections. 

Tanzania Government Spokesperson Gerson Msigwa announced the directive on social media, saying only employees whose duties require physical presence should report to their workplaces.

Protests erupted in the capital and other cities yesterday, as voters expressed anger over what they described as repression during the election. 

Key presidential contenders were excluded from the race, either barred or jailed, leaving President Samia Suluhu Hassan as the sole candidate on the ballot.

Clashes broke out between protesters and police, with officers firing tear gas to disperse crowds. 

Demonstrators tore down banners of President Samia and set a police station on fire.

Samia is expected to secure a second term, extending the ruling party’s more than six-decade grip on power. 

Rights groups have condemned the vote as a “wave of terror.”

The main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu of the Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) Party, remains in prison on treason charges he denies, while other opposition candidates were disqualified from contesting.

Global internet monitor NetBlocks on Wednesday reported a nationwide internet blackout on election day.

“Tanzania remains offline eight hours after a national blackout on election day, as news emerges that a curfew is now in place. The measure marks a significant decline in the country’s internet freedom, threatening the transparency and credibility of the election process,” NetBlocks said.