Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Clarion News Channel Exclusive Report
December 10, 2025
What should have been a joyous 64th anniversary of Tanzania’s independence from British colonial rule on December 9, 1961, instead unfolded as a day of eerie silence and simmering rage, with the streets of Dar es Salaam and other major cities transformed into ghost towns patrolled by heavily armed police and soldiers. The government, under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, preemptively outlawed planned nationwide demonstrations by opposition activists and civil society groups, branding them not as legitimate cries for reform but as an “unlawful coup attempt” aimed at overthrowing the state—a stark escalation in rhetoric that has drawn sharp rebukes from human rights watchdogs and regional bodies.
Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba’s plea on X (formerly Twitter) the day before set the tone for the lockdown: “The government advises all citizens who will not have an emergency on December 9 to use the day for rest and celebrate it at home, except for those whose work duties require them to be at their work stations.” Public transport ground to a halt, non-essential workers were ordered to stay indoors, and official Independence Day festivities—typically marked by parades and cultural displays—were abruptly canceled, with funds redirected to repair infrastructure ravaged during October’s election turmoil. By midday, Reuters witnesses reported vast avenues in the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam eerily deserted, save for checkpoints where security forces inspected vehicles under the watchful eye of riot-geared officers.
Home Affairs Minister George Simbachawene minced no words in a December 8 press briefing alongside Inspector General of Police Camillus Wambura: “Those protests are not permitted and are unlawful… that is not a protest, that is a coup. Our security organs will handle them.” The minister emphasized that the demonstrations lacked formal permits and identifiable organizers, rendering them illegal under Tanzanian law. President Hassan echoed this on December 2, telling elders in Dar es Salaam that the October 29 election chaos was itself a failed “attempt to overthrow the Government,” and vowing the state was “well prepared” for any recurrence.
The protests were spearheaded by the main opposition Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) party and activists, who framed the “D9” call to action as a peaceful stand against the “violent suppression” of post-election demonstrations. Tanzania’s October 29 presidential and parliamentary polls—widely decried as a sham by critics due to the barring of major opposition figures and rampant irregularities—triggered the deadliest unrest in the nation’s post-independence history. The UN has estimated hundreds killed in clashes, with thousands arrested, including opposition leader Tundu Lissu and his supporters. Rights groups like Human Rights Watch documented excessive lethal force by police, arbitrary detentions, and a chilling preemptive crackdown: On November 28, activist Winfrida Charles Malembeka was jailed for “inciting violence” via social media posts about D9, while Chadema member Dede was accused of “organizing crime through a WhatsApp group” disguised as peaceful protests. Six Kenyan-based activists, including Odhiambo Ojiro and Julius Kamau, were briefly detained in Nairobi after attempting to rally at the Tanzanian High Commission.
By sunset on December 9, no large-scale demonstrations materialized in most areas, thanks to the suffocating security blanket—but pockets of defiance flickered. Videos circulating on X showed small groups clashing with police in Arusha, Mbeya, and Mwanza, chanting “#SuluhuMustGo” and demanding an end to abductions, disappearances, and killings. Residents in these urban centers described a “slow start” to the day, with many hunkering down amid fears of reprisals. NTV Kenya aired footage of a gloomy capital, where the national flag flew at half-mast not in mourning, but in quiet protest against the regime’s grip.
The government’s response has amplified global alarm. On November 18, Hassan’s administration formed an “independent” commission—staffed solely by former officials and retired civil servants, excluding civil society or opposition voices—to probe the election violence, a move slammed as opaque by Amnesty International and the African Union. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights urged an immediate lift on the nationwide protest ban and a halt to excessive force. As one Dar es Salaam trader, speaking anonymously to Clarion News, whispered: “Independence? From whom—the British or our own leaders? We’re celebrating chains today.”
For a nation born from the flames of anti-colonial struggle, this muted milestone underscores a deepening chasm: a ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party clinging to power since 1961, versus a youth-driven clamor for transparency and rights. With President Hassan’s landslide 97.66% victory still contested, the question lingers—will D9’s embers ignite broader reform, or smother under authoritarian weight? Clarion News is on the ground, amplifying the silenced.
Reporting by Clarion News East Africa Bureau.
Tanzania’s Independence Day of Dread: Troops Storm Streets, Label Peaceful Protests a ‘Coup Plot’ in Post-Election Fury
