Robert Alai cites absence of Raila-like mediator in Tanzania’s political unrest
By Faith Lagat, November 1, 2025Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai has weighed in on Tanzania’s escalating post-election crisis, saying the country lacks a unifying figure like Kenya’s late Raila Odinga to mediate peace.
Posting on Facebook on November 1, 2025, Alai wrote, “Tanzania without a Raila to calm and rescue the country. Do you see how the huge country is going to be destroyed?”
His remarks come as protests enter their third day following disputed polls and allegations of authoritarian crackdowns. The unrest began on election day, Wednesday, October 29, 2025, after key opposition figures, including CHADEMA party leader Tundu Lissu, were barred from contesting. Lissu has been in jail for months. Demonstrations have since brought parts of the country to a standstill, with reports of vandalism and clashes between protesters and security forces.
Alai’s post painted a grim picture of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership, stating, “Samia jailed or killed everyone who dared differ with her in opinion. Now she went to the general election overconfident and surrounded by a commando unit as presidential guards. She does not like what is happening.”
As the situation worsens, Alai also warned of religious divisions taking root amid the political turmoil. “Religious extremism will increase because Tanzanians believe that senior Muslim leaders looked away as Samia Suluhu destroyed the country,” he wrote.
Govt seeks to restore calm
In an interview with the BBC on October 31, 2025, Foreign Affairs Minister Thabit Kombo sought to calm tensions, confirming that the electoral commission would release results on Saturday, November 1, 2025, the same day Alai made his post. “Yes, the announcement of results will happen on Saturday; yes, it will happen,” Kombo said.
He also addressed the nationwide internet shutdown imposed after protests erupted, saying services would be restored by Saturday.
“The internet will be restored on Saturday; we closed it because when we tried to open it, it created havoc among small groups of vandalisers who are creating problems with the vandalism,” Kombo said.
Kombo defended the shutdown as a response to criminal activities linked to the demonstrations and said election observers from the East African Community (EAC) had been provided with alternative communication channels.
He maintained that calm had returned to Dar es Salaam, with residents observing a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Meanwhile, international partners, including Canada, Norway, and the UK have urged restraint as the violence continues, calling for peaceful dialogue to end the crisis.