Blood aftermath: Tanzania election clampdown now targets foreigners

A Tanzanian police officer stops a man accused by electoral officials of attempting to taint the voting process at a polling station in Stone Town on October 29, 2025, during Tanzania’s presidential elections. [AFP]

A terse late-evening directive from Tanzanian police headquarters sent a panic and shockwave through the country's hospitality industry and ignited a sweeping foreigner crackdown.

The order, issued Monday evening, by David Misime of Jeshi la Polisi mandated all premises accommodating foreigners be immediately registered with authorities, warning that those providing lodging to unregistered individuals would face arrest alongside them.