Tuko, a Kenyan news outlet reports that Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu’s location is unknown. This comes amid a communication blackout and ongoing post-election chaos in the East African nation – Details in comments.
Other unconfirmed reports indicate that Tanzanian celebrities including Diamond Platinumz have fled to Mombasa amid protests in Tanzania which are now targeting celebrities who promoted Samia Suluhu.
Senior government officials in Dodoma were also nowhere to be seen as thousands of Tanzanians flooded the streets to protest what they described as a shambolic election.
On Thursday, October 30, in the afternoon, chaos broke out at the Namanga border checkpoint as Kenyan and Tanzanian youth threw stones at Tanzanian police, who responded with live ammunition and tear gas canisters.
Two people were shot dead by police in the melee; Tanzanian national Kabuli Balayi and local Kenyan businessman John Kahindi. Their bodies were taken to a nearby mortuary. Two others, including a Kenyan police officer, were seriously injured.
This is according to a diplomatic source, even though the reports could not be verified independently. The preliminary election results were announced by the state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation, which revealed that Suluhu had won commanding majorities in several constituencies.
The election also included votes for MPs and officials for the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago. Protests were called for by the main opposition party, Chadema, which was disqualified for refusing to sign a code of conduct, and its leader, Tundu Lissu, was accused of treason.
The British government announced that the airports in Arusha and the one near Mount Kilimanjaro were closed, and that international flights to and from Dar es Salaam had been cancelled.