Date: 7 November 2025
Key Issues Motivated Youth Mobilization and Protests.
“Tanzania’s young generation faces a range of socio-political and economic challenges. However, they lack effective platforms through which their concerns can be meaningfully expressed, acknowledged, and heard. Many young people perceive public demonstrations as the only viable avenue for articulating their grievances and asserting their voices in the democratic process.”
© Reuters/Onsase Ochando.
The main reason Tanzanian youth took to the streets was the absence of free and fair elections. Many argue that the Tanzania electoral commissions lack independence, as key officials, including the Chairperson, are appointed by the President and remain directly accountable to the executive. Past elections have shown recurring irregularities, prompting youth to demand reforms and a new Constitution to guarantee genuinely free and fair polls.
Corruption and misuse of public funds was another reason that fueled the protests. Young people shared images of luxury assets allegedly owned by government officials, questioning their legitimacy and highlighting embezzlement. Social media became a platform to expose these practices, increasing public outrage.
Finally, enforced disappearances of government critics and human rights defenders, with over 200 cases since 2019, intensified youth mobilization. Gen Z demanded the release of detained opposition leaders and missing citizens, making human rights violations another key factor driving the protests.
How Young People Organized and Amplified Their Voices.
29 October 2025 was the day of the General Election in Tanzania, but this time young people turned it into not a day of voting, but a day of protest to demand their rights, which have long been ignored. It should be remembered that this was not the first time protests had been called in Tanzania, but these protests were unique in how organized they were and in how they succeeded despite the killing of innocent protesters. Young people used social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook, and Clubhouse to organize demonstrations. On the day of the protests, a new communication application, Zello, entered the public vocabulary, as it had not previously been widely used among Tanzanian youth. Alongside other platforms, young people used Zello to communicate and organize themselves. These platforms played a crucial role in connecting youth and facilitating their coordination. However, after the protests began to grow and young people started sharing photos and videos online, the Tanzanian authorities decided to shut down the internet. The restriction lasted for more than six days.
Challenges for young people’s engagement shaping democracy in Tanzania.
The Gen Z protests in Tanzania were driven by a desire to shape the country’s democratic future; however, this movement came at a heavy cost, resulting in the loss of many young lives and leaving a profound impact on an entire generation. It remains very difficult to establish the exact number of people who lost their lives, as the government has withheld information on the true death toll, this situation prompted Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, and the Tanganyika Law Society to collect information from families who lost their loved ones as a result of the post-election demonstrations. Recent reports from media outlets and other sources within and outside Tanzania indicate that more than 2,000 people have been killed in three days of election protests across Tanzania.
Another major challenge facing the younger generation in engaging with and shaping democracy in Tanzania is that any young person who raises their voice is often seen as an enemy of the government, rather than serving as a mirror for authorities to reflect on their actions and identify areas for improvement. This has led to young people, particularly netizens, being subjected to arbitrary arrests and fabricated charges, while some have been forcibly disappeared, with their whereabouts still unknown.
Demanding rights has its consequences, and this cannot be denied. However, as Tanzania writes a new chapter in bringing true democracy and reforms to the country, the contribution of Gen Z will never be forgotten, in acting as a catalyst for establishing true democracy that respects and amplifies their voices.
Opportunities for young people’s engagement shaping democracy in Tanzania.
Social media platforms remain a vital tool for shaping the democracy we strive for, even in the face of internet shutdowns and censorship. Donors have a critical role in evaluating the relationship between the government and civil society organizations to align priorities and support initiatives that strengthen digital resilience. Such programs can empower youth to navigate and overcome the challenges posed by internet restrictions, ensuring their continued engagement in democratic processes in Tanzania.
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