Protesters lit bonfires at the Namanga border/COURTESYViolent protests erupted Thursday at the busy Namanga border crossing between Kenya and Tanzania, paralysing movement and heightening tension along the key East African transit route.
Hundreds of demonstrators, reportedly from the Tanzanian side, barricaded roads, lit bonfires, and hurled stones at buildings in the border town.
The protesters, angered by the disputed October 29 general election in Tanzania, tore down campaign posters featuring President Samia Suluhu Hassan and torched several others along the highway.
The crowd chanted pro-opposition slogans, including in support of popular opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
“Wacheni uoga. Tunataka nani? Tunataka Lissu (Never fear! Whom do we want? We want Lissu),” they were heard chanting.
Many could be seen waving branches, whistling, and calling on others to join what they described as a pro-democracy movement.
The demonstrations disrupted cross-border trade and travel at the one-stop border facility, a critical regional hub linking the two countries serving the wider East African market.
Cargo trucks, passenger buses, and private vehicles were left stranded for hours as authorities tightened access on both sides of the border.
Kenyan officials at the One Stop Border Post (OSBP) are said to have even temporarily suspended clearance operations as businesses in Namanga town abruptly shut down amid uncertainty and heavy security deployment.
Kenyan law enforcement officers were also seen blocking youths attempting to cross from Namanga, Kenya, into Tanzania to join the protests, warning them that participating in unrest across the border could constitute a breach of Kenyan law.
Local officials urged residents to remain calm and avoid involvement in demonstrations in a foreign jurisdiction.
The Namanga unrest marks one of the most significant flashpoints in a wave of protests that has gripped Tanzania following the election, which opposition figures and some international observers labelled neither competitive nor free.
Across several Tanzanian regions, demonstrators have clashed with police, set fires in urban centres and accused authorities of silencing dissent through arrests, intimidation, and media restrictions.
Rights organisations monitoring the situation have raised alarm over reports of civilian casualties, internet slowdowns, curfews, and heavy deployment of military forces in major cities.
They have urged restraint and called for transparent resolution of electoral complaints to avert further escalation.
With Namanga serving as both a trade lifeline and symbolic entry point between the two neighbours, analysts warned that prolonged unrest could strain bilateral relations and disrupt regional economic activity.
