The Tanzania Police Force, through its spokesperson David Misime, has dismissed claims circulating on social media that a container of heavy weapons was allowed into the country and handed over to a civilian.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, September 1, 2025, Misime described the allegation as election-related misinformation.

“Unfortunately, there are people, or some individuals, with criminal tendencies or who are criminals, who use social media to spread a lot of false information. Like the rumor that a container of weapons has entered the country. There is no truth to that; we, the Police Force, have heard it, investigated it, and found no truth in that incident. Because if it were true, we would have already told you about it,” Misime told reporters.

This information was circulated by U.S.-based Tanzanian activist Mange Kimambi on her Instagram page. She claimed to have received the information from credible sources and highlighted that it came from the same individual who leaked confidential documents about payments from certain government institutions in May 2025. While the government did not confirm the authenticity of those documents, the President later issued a directive on May 24, 2025, against the leakage of classified information.

Kimambi remains a highly influential social media activist in the country. Following her claims, a widespread discussion on social media emerged. The Police urged Tanzanians not to share such claims, stressing that doing so constitutes a criminal offense.

“Our appeal is that citizens should continue to ignore and dismiss such misleading information. And when they come across it, they should not spread it further. Because doing so is an offense under the law that addresses issues of cybercrime,” Misime said.

In her original post, Kimambi alleged that the weapons had been allowed to enter the country for a post-election crackdown, claiming they would be used by task forces to target government critics. The police, however, cautioned that more false reports are likely to emerge during the election period and urged the public to remain vigilant.

“And let us tell Tanzanians that because there are malicious people, there are people with criminal tendencies, especially during this election period. They will continue to take advantage of the opportunities provided by technology to deceive Tanzanians, mislead Tanzanians, and at times even rob them,”Misime emphasized.

And added: “Therefore, it is upon us to remain cautious, and we ask journalists to continue educating the public that such people exist, and that their information should not be spread if you are not certain about it.”