Dar es Salaam – A major technical fault in the national electricity grid on Saturday, June 27, 2026, caused a nationwide blackout, plunging all regions connected to the grid into darkness and disrupting critical services, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
The Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) reported that the outage began at approximately 7:00 p.m. local time, during peak electricity demand.
According to TANESCO Managing Director Lazaro Twange, the disruption was triggered by simultaneous faults affecting three electricity transmission lines and one grid substation. This prompted the grid’s automatic protection system to shut down operations to prevent extensive damage to the infrastructure.
“We experienced a fault that lasted for some time, but we thank God and our experts that the service was restored that very night,” Twange stated. He confirmed that the power supply has since stabilised, with customers across the country, including Zanzibar, receiving electricity services as normal.
The blackout caused significant disruptions across the nation. Passengers on the SGR electric train were left stranded for hours before the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) confirmed the cause of the interruption. The outage also affected hospitals, businesses, and everyday life for millions of citizens.
READ MORE: Tanzania, Kenya Suffer Nationwide Power Outages in Early Morning Hours
Government Spokesperson Gerson Msigwa acknowledged the inconvenience, stating, “I know many of you were shaken by the problem that occurred yesterday, but my fellow journalists, those are technical problems.”
He emphasised that the automatic shutdown was a protective measure, comparing it to a circuit breaker tripping in a home to prevent damage.
In response to the incident, Minister for Energy Deogratius Ndejembi has formed a special investigation team to determine the exact cause of the failure. The team comprises experts from the Ministry of Energy, TANESCO, and security agencies.
Ndejembi clarified that preliminary findings indicate the outage was not caused by a shortfall in electricity generation but rather a fault within the grid system itself.
“What happened yesterday was a grid failure, not a generation issue,” Ndejembi explained. “Generation had no challenges whatsoever.” He noted that the fault occurred during peak demand hours, between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., when electricity usage is highest.
The government has directed TANESCO to improve the grid system to prevent future nationwide blackouts. Ndejembi stressed the need for a system that can isolate faults, allowing unaffected areas to continue receiving power while repairs are made.
He also ordered the acceleration of key transmission infrastructure projects, including the Chalinze–Kinyerezi–Mkuranga line and the 400-kilovolt Chalinze–Dodoma line, which are expected to increase the grid’s capacity and stability.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges with Tanzania’s power infrastructure, which has struggled to keep pace with the country’s growing economy and increasing electricity demand.
As the investigation continues, TANESCO has apologised to its customers and pledged to implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“We promise our customers that they will continue to enjoy our services well,” Twange assured.
