X restricted in Tanzania after police targeted by hackers
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Tanzania restricts X after hacking of police account and amid political tension over opposition leader's trial.
Access to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has been restricted in Tanzania following a wave of cyberattacks targeting official government and institutional accounts, including the national police force.
On Tuesday, the official X account of the Tanzanian police was compromised. Hackers posted false information, including fake reports of the president’s death, along with sexually explicit material. The police force quickly distanced itself from the content, assuring the public that an investigation was underway to identify those responsible.
Shortly after the breach, internet watchdog NetBlocks reported that access to X had become “unreachable on major internet providers” throughout Tanzania. While users in the capital, Dar es Salaam, reported they were unable to access the platform without using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), some users in other regions said they were still able to log in. However, using a VPN without a permit in Tanzania is illegal.
Although the government has not officially confirmed whether it is behind the restriction, Information Minister Jerry Silaa acknowledged the cyberattacks while speaking in parliament. He assured MPs that the affected government accounts had since been secured. Meanwhile, government spokesman Gerson Msigwa issued a stern warning to those responsible for the hacking, promising swift action.
The move to limit access to X coincides with heightened political tensions in the country, particularly around the ongoing legal troubles of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges.
Over the past few days, the Tanzanian government has taken controversial steps to block foreign activists and observers from attending Lissu’s court proceedings. Kenyan political figure Martha Karua and several others were deported upon arriving in Tanzania to show support for Lissu. On Monday, President Samia Suluhu Hassan publicly warned activists from neighboring Kenya to avoid interfering in Tanzania’s internal affairs or attempting to incite disorder.
The president’s warning came after the detention of high-profile human rights activists Boniface Mwangi from Kenya and Agather Atuhaire from Uganda. Both were reportedly arrested in Dar es Salaam by suspected military operatives, and their current whereabouts remain unknown. Tanzanian authorities have not commented publicly on their detention or legal status.
Njeri Mwangi, the wife of Boniface Mwangi, expressed grave concern for her husband’s safety in an interview with the BBC. “I’m actually concerned for his life. I know my husband — he would have communicated. He’d find a way to call or text me, and because he hasn’t, it makes me very worried about what state he is in,” she said.
There has been conflicting information about the status of Mwangi and Atuhaire. Initially, the president of the Tanganyika Law Society, Boniface Mwabukusi, announced that the two had been deported. However, he later clarified on X that the legal body had since learned that both activists were being held by the immigration department.
“Our legal team on the ground is actively monitoring the situation and exploring appropriate legal remedies to facilitate a just and timely resolution,” he wrote.
The government’s restriction of X and its actions against foreign activists have sparked concerns over freedom of expression and political transparency in Tanzania. Rights groups have also criticized the targeting of human rights defenders and the lack of clear information regarding those who have been detained.
As the investigation into the hacking incident continues and political tensions mount, Tanzanians and the international community are closely watching how the government will manage both the cybersecurity breach and the escalating regional controversy over its handling of political dissent.
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