Zanzibar – Young Tanzanians are increasingly alienated from formal political processes due to a pervasive culture that demands unquestioning loyalty and systematically excludes them from meaningful decision-making, according to participants at the Tanzania Democracy Forum held here on July 9, 2026.
The panel discussion on youth political participation and national cohesion, moderated by journalist Khalifa Said, brought together young leaders, civil society representatives, and audience members to examine the structural barriers preventing genuine youth engagement in the country’s democratic life.
The discussion, among other things, highlighted a profound disconnect between the demographic reality of Tanzania—where approximately 76 per cent of the population is under 35—and the composition of its representative bodies.
Panellists, who included famous comedian and TikToker Gasper Kagonda alias Gasper Comic and Special Seat House Representative from Zanzibar, Dr Nasra Nassor, argued that political parties and government institutions often view young people primarily as instruments to serve older leaders rather than as constituents with legitimate needs.
“What they need is for us young people to serve them, not for them to serve us,” said Gasper, a prominent stand-up comedian and social media activist known for coining ‘Malawi’ as a code name for Tanzania when discussing the country’s many dysfunctions.
“They want us to fight for them, to love them, to praise them, to make them look good,” the satirist added. “Meanwhile, our small, ordinary problems—basic things—they fail to fight for and solve.”
Dr Nassra Nasor, a young member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives from opposition ACT Wazalendo, noted that even when young people secure positions in representative bodies, they face intense pressure to conform to agendas set by older politicians.
“Someone aged 60 comes to the young people with their own agenda and places it on a young person whom we expect to be among us,” Dr Nasra, who is also a certified Aviation Medical Examiner, said. “So you can find that even the small representation that exists is still sabotaged in that way.”
Audience members echoed this concern, pointing to the cultivation of a “yes-man” culture that begins early in educational institutions. One participant, for instance, noted that university student government elections are often manipulated, teaching young people “vote theft from a very tender age.”
“Patriotism has come to mean agreeing with everything” the government is doing, observed Mary Ndaro, the executive director of HakiElimu, a local education NGO. “Patriotism is when you don’t ask questions. Patriotism is when you’ve decided to be foolish by choice—that’s when you’re called a patriot.”
Cost of exclusion
The panel warned that excluding young people from formal political channels does not eliminate their grievances but rather forces them to seek alternative, sometimes informal, avenues for expression.
READ MORE: Cleric Challenges Tanzania’s Political Elite to Confront Youth Exclusion and Generational Crisis
Gasper noted that many young people now engage with politics primarily through social media, often using fake accounts due to fear of reprisal. He warned that this marginalisation makes youth vulnerable to manipulation.
“Young people are wandering, they have nowhere to speak,” the young comedian explained. “When they speak, that’s when they’re threatened—they’re told they’ll be lost, abducted, and various things. So they come to be used by people who may be right or wrong in terms of what young people need.”
On her part, Dr Nasra, who actively advocates for democratic reforms and women’s empowerment, drew a direct connection between political exclusion and civil unrest, referencing the disputed October 2025 elections and previous periods of political violence.
“If you don’t include someone, even in a family, when you oppress a family by not giving them their rights within the family, one day you’ll have young people who will beat you,” she said.
According to her, what happened on October 29, 2025, when youth-led protests accompanied highly questionable general elections, is “a manifestation of not including, especially excluding a large group of young people from decision-making matters.”
Shared needs
Despite geographical and cultural differences, the two young people emphasised that the fundamental needs of young people in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar are identical.
READ MORE: Dreams Deferred? How Poverty and Lack of Opportunity Are Pushing Zanzibar’s Youth Out of School
“The needs of young people in Tanzania mainland and the islands are the same—they don’t differ at all,” Gasper stated. “There are economic needs, legal needs—all of them oppress us, all of them hurt us young people.”
Dr Nasra agreed, noting that while specific economic activities might differ between the islands and the mainland, the core demands remain consistent.
“We all need self-reliance, we need to be heard, and we also need, if there’s an ability to challenge the government or authorities, we have that ability,” she said.
Participants identified several structural barriers that actively discourage youth political participation.
Tunduru North MP (ACT Wazalendo) Ado Shaibu highlighted the severe restrictions on free speech within the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania itself.
He noted, for example, that representatives are prohibited from discussing critical issues such as abductions, high-level corruption, the Controller and Auditor General’s report, constitutional reform, or the conduct of the October 2025 elections.
“When measuring the space for young people, we shouldn’t just look at the numbers; we should look at whether we truly give them a real platform to express their ideas,” Mr Shaibu, who doubles as ACT Wazalendo’s secretary-general, told the convening.
READ MORE: “Schooled but Not Educated”: Zanzibar Youth Grapple with Declining Discipline and Moral Decay
“We can increase numbers but lose that youthfulness that brings welfare and development,” he added.
Other participants also pointed out that politics has become both prohibitively expensive and physically dangerous for young people, citing examples of youth leaders facing fabricated criminal charges, including economic sabotage, to prevent their political advancement.
Path forward
Despite the challenges, the discussion emphasised the agency of young people and the necessity of continued engagement.
Dr Nasra, for instance, called for sustained, institutionalised dialogue rather than one-off events. “This forum should be a monthly discussion or a discussion that can be taken up by other institutions,” she said, advocating for a coalition to maintain momentum on foundational democracy issues.
Gasper urged young professionals to engage in politics alongside their careers to maintain independence.
READ MORE: Ruto, Adesina: Africa’s Youth Biggest Asset for the Continent, World
Bishop Dr Benson Bagonza, who had earlier delivered the forum’s keynote address, closed the panel with a series of provocative questions, challenging what he referred to as “the demonisation of activism” and the suppression of debate.
“Development is rebellion,” Bishop Bagonza stated. “Taking a step when you’re not satisfied with your situation and deciding to find a solution—what is that? It’s rebellion. Now, the steps we’re taking—with creativity, discovery, curiosity… are we preventing children from thinking, from taking action?”
He reminded the audience of the fundamental demographic reality shaping the country’s future: “Elders have power; young people have time. Time is on their side.”
