Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on October 27, 2025.
Early Voting Underway as Zanzibar Opens 2025 General Election
The semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar begins its general election today, October 28, 2025, with a contentious early voting process for security personnel and election officials.
The main election day is scheduled for October 29, when over 700,000 registered voters will cast their ballots for the President of Zanzibar, members of the House of Representatives, and local councillors.
The early voting, held across 50 special polling stations, has been a focal point of political tension between the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and the main opposition party, ACT-Wazalendo.
While the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) maintains that the process is a logistical necessity, ACT-Wazalendo has raised serious concerns about its potential for fraud.
Incumbent President Hussein Mwinyi of CCM is seeking a second term, facing a strong challenge from Othman Masoud Othman, the First Vice President and ACT-Wazalendo’s presidential candidate.
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Bank of Tanzania Strengthens Interbank Foreign Exchange Market Liquidity with Another USD 20 Million Auction
The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) has sold an additional USD 20 million in the Interbank Foreign Exchange Market (IFEM) to boost liquidity and stabilize the local foreign exchange market, following the sale of USD 15 million last week.
Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has been blocked before even the election campaign began, and recently live discussions on TikTok have reportedly been restricted. Both platforms are predominantly used by young people and diaspora communities.
“The aim of this auction was to create an avenue for providing liquidity in the foreign exchange market,” the statement said.
According to the notice, the USD 20 million was sold through an auction at a weighted average exchange rate of TZS 2,465.13 per US dollar.
The auction attracted significant interest, with banks tendering a total of USD 29.5 million, though only USD 20 million was successfully allocated. A total of 23 banks participated, compared to 24 in last week’s auction, while 14 banks received allocations.
The results showed the highest bid rate at TZS 2,471.00, while the lowest accepted bid rate was TZS 2,457.00.
Recently, Tanzania has recorded a notable improvement in dollar liquidity compared to the past two years, a development attributed to effective monetary and fiscal measures implemented by the authorities.
Dar es Salaam Police Arrest Influencer-Businesswoman Amid Rising Election Tensions
Police in the city have arrested a prominent social media influencer just two days before the October 29 general election, accusing her of inciting violence after she participated in a TikTok challenge using words from President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s campaign rally.
Jenifer Bilikwiza Jovin, a 26-year-old businesswoman known as Niffer, was arrested on October 27 at around 3 pm in the Sinza Kumekucha area of Dar es Salaam. According to Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Jumanne Muliro, she faces allegations of inciting violence and destruction of infrastructure in various parts of the city ahead of the general election.
Muliro stated that Niffer is accused of encouraging people to cause chaos on election day, inciting attacks on petrol stations, and calling for assaults on police officers through social media and other channels. The arrest sparked outrage on social media platforms, with witnesses claiming that plainclothes officers stormed her business premises before taking her away.
It remains unclear precisely how Niffer allegedly participated in inciting the unrest police describe. However, her arrest came days after she participated in a TikTok challenge, recording a video set to music that incorporated words from one of President Samia’s campaign rallies.
In assuring citizens there would be no demonstrations, President Samia had stated “There will be no nywinywinywi or nywanywanywa” ( suggesting chaos or disorder), words that some people turned into music and made into a popular TikTok trend.
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Tanzania’s Bus and Ferry Companies Suspend Services Ahead of October 29 Elections
Major transport operators across Tanzania have cancelled all trips between October 28 and 30, 2025, marking the first time in the country’s history that bus services have been halted due to elections.
Dozens of bus companies, including Louis Line, Extra Luxury Coach, Chakaby Luxury, Ally’s Star, Tilisho Safaris, Happy Nation, Sama Luxury, City Boy Express, Isamilo Express, Linah Luxury, Mbeya Luxury, HC Safari, Greenline Express, King Yasin Tours, and Falcon Coach, have posted public notices announcing the suspension of operations during the General Elections period.
Ferry services have also been affected, with Azam Marine suspending all trips from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar and other coastal destinations on October 29, 2025, with services expected to resume on October 30, 2025.
Whilst most operators have not publicly stated their reasons for grounding their fleets, those who have explained the decision cited the need to “pave the way for the General Elections.”
Industry observers believe the unprecedented move either reflects fears within the business community about potential chaos surrounding the elections or is a strategic attempt to limit the movement of people intending to vote in the polls scheduled for Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
The cancellations come as authorities maintain that the elections will proceed as planned despite growing online protests and calls for electoral reforms. Social media platforms have been flooded with posts urging mass demonstrations on election day.
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