-Gen Jacob John Mkunda said the military was leading the effort to restore calm in the country.
The streets of Dar es Salaam and other Tanzanian cities have entered a third day of unrest.
The trigger: the general election held on October 29, widely described as skewed in favour of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.
Opposition figures were barred. Key candidates shut out. Critics say the vote lacked credibility.
On Thursday, October 30 the army chief, Gen Jacob John Mkunda, spoke on state television. He said the military was leading the effort to restore calm in the country.
“We shall work with other security agencies to contain the situation,” Jacob John Mkunda said, describing protesters as “criminals”.
“I urge the citizens to remember that our country is governed by rule of law… If the acts of violence continue, the military and the security forces will not hesitate to take appropriate measures in line with the law.” He said.
Elsewhere, civic leaders and regional commentators voiced a distinctly different tone.
Professor Kivutha Kibwana posted on X:
“The spirit of Nyerere has entered into Tanzanian Gen Z and … they are demanding their country back. All of East Africa & indeed Africa say: NO REFORMS, NO SHAM ELECTIONS.”
And blogger-analyst Jenerali Ulimwengu, writing in commentary over social media feeds, warned that “a generation is awakening – and it will not settle for symbolic change.”
There is absolutely no justification for what is happening in TZ right now, the killing of our people, ABSOLUTELY NONE WHATSOEVER!! STOP THIS MADNESS OF THINKING OUR PEOPLE ARE YOUR SLAVES AND THEY CANNOT THROW OFF THE YOKE OF YOUR ENSLAVEMENT. YES THEY CAN AND THEY WILL, IN THE…
— Jenerali Ulimwengu (@raiyajenerali) October 31, 2025
Deaths and injuries are mounting. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights cites credible sources saying at least 10 people have been killed so far.
Meanwhile, protesters claim far higher totals – upwards of 700 dead across the country.
These figures could not be independently verified.
Under curfew and blackouts, the sense in the air is of a state under siege — or citizens whose patience has electrocuted lines.
Roads are empty. Shops shuttered. Phones are slow. Social platforms crackle with footage of burning buildings, military trucks, and anguished voices.
The commercial hub of Dar lives by day in trembling silence, by night with an electric fear.
The election, planned to lock in continuity for President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her party, instead stoked collective fury.
READ ALSO: Tanzania Election: Violence, Blackouts and Fear as Samia Suluhu Seeks Full Mandate
Analysts say this moment could mark a turning point – not because the old regime falls, but because the young are testing its fortress.
“If the military stands firmly with the state, stability may return. If it does not, the country could tip,” an analyst wrote on Twitter.
PAY ATTENTION: Reach us at info@gotta.news.
