Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has launched a commission of inquiry to investigate the violence that followed the October 29 general elections, alleging that the unrest was fueled by coordinated financing and foreign-backed political interference. She claims that some protesters were paid to demonstrate before and after the polls, framing the post-election chaos as part of a wider destabilization agenda.
Samia said intelligence assessments revealed that external entities financed media networks, advocacy groups, and policy organizations to influence political narratives. The findings, she noted, pointed to foreign funding networks supporting campaigns designed to sway public opinion and shape electoral outcomes. According to the intelligence reports, some of these funds were allegedly channeled through international institutions to influence multiple countries simultaneously.
The assessments further claim that foreign actors sought to position the opposition party CHADEMA as the vehicle for post-election unrest by amplifying claims of electoral fraud and delegitimizing state institutions. Authorities say the alleged plan included preparing opposition leader Tundu Lissu to reject the results, leave the country, and declare himself the rightful president from abroad, establishing a parallel center of authority.
Intelligence officials reportedly believe the disruption was averted when security forces detained Lissu before he could leave the country. The commission will now examine the causes of the unrest, the role of political actors, and the alleged influence of external funding networks.
The government has not provided documentary evidence to the public to support the claims, and the accused organizations have not formally responded to the allegations. The commission’s findings are expected to shape future political and security policy in Tanzania.
