Tanzanian Home Affairs Minister Innocent Bashungwa has asked police officers to weed out Tanzanians peddling content produced outside the country on social media, painting President Samia Suluhu in a bad light.
Speaking on Monday, May 26, when presenting his ministry's 2025/26 budget, the minister urged the police to collaborate with the Tanzanian Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) to weed out Tanzanians sharing foreign activist content and have them face the full force of the law.
According to the minister, the Members of Parliament he was speaking to have witnessed President Suluhu's development, and the country would not take lightly any efforts to cyberbully her.
"It has come to our attention that people are using social media to bash our president, and it has been made clear that even if the content originates outside the country, Tanzanians are sharing it in the country for cyberbullying.
"Let me take this opportunity to direct IGP (Inspector General of Police) Camillus Wambura to continue with the good work the police force is doing in collaboration with TCRA to ensure those people are dealt with. It cannot be that you see content made outside the country to try and burn our country, and you, as a Tanzanian, become a part of it. We will not allow it."
Consequently, he urged the relevant authorities, including the IGP and police commanders, to evaluate the situation and pinpoint any challenges that they should then take up with the nation's Parliament.
Bashungwa's remarks are just the latest in the ongoing rift between the two East African nations, with the Tanzanian MPs launching a scathing attack on Kenya during their Monday, May 26, session.
During the heated sessions, several Tanzanian MPs called on President William Ruto to take action on young Kenyans using social media to perpetuate a false narrative on President Suluhu.
Leading the pack, the Iringa Urban District MP, Jesca Msambatavangu, claimed that the Kenyan youth were using social media platforms to carry out hate against their government and had begun extending the same to their regional neighbours under the guise of democracy.
"To our brothers in Kenya, let us respect each other. His Excellency William Ruto, we respect you so much; do something that is not democracy, that is bullying," said Msambatavangu.
"We, as your neighbours, are concerned about why the country is collapsing, but your people are used to the police. We recently saw them engaging with the police in heated protests and providing water to the officers to clean their faces."
Pandani MP Maryam Omar Said, on his part, expressed regret over deporting Kenya's Martha Karua and others who had gone to observe the trial of Tanzania's opposition leader Tundu Lissu without torturing them first.
Just over a week ago, Karua, who had travelled alongside two fellow human rights defenders, Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi, were deported nearly six hours after landing at the Julius Nyerere International Airport. A day later, on Monday, May 19, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and activists Hussein Khalid and Hanifa Adan were also deported.
However, activist Boniface Mwangi, who had managed to get into the country, was apprehended and allegedly tortured after going missing for three days.
The uproar in Kenya following the detainment launched the rift between the two countries that has since escalated online, with most Kenyan youth not mincing their words on the criticism of the Tanzanian Head of State.
