Border Tensions Rise as Tanzania Election Protests Spill Over Into Kenya
Tensions came to a head at the Namanga border crossing on Thursday as election unrest in Tanzania spilled over into Kenya.
Local witnesses reported the Kenyan police jumping in to block a gang of youths who were trying to make a move towards the border on motorbikes – all of this in a heavy security presence. This came just days after protests kicked off in several Tanzanian cities following the October 29th election.
It wasnt clear if the intention of the youths was to join the protesters in Tanzania but locals said the frustration just kept growing because the authorities had decided to clamp down on border travel.
In both Kenya and Tanzania, the authorities kept a tight grip on things at Namanga, as it were. The Kenyan Interior’s Principle Secretary Raymond Omollo was warning his citizens not to try and join the protests in Tanzania – telling them that doing so could get them into trouble with the law.
“We’ve got laws on the books that cover how to handle demonstrations,” Omollo said in Mombasa. “I’d ask you all to remember that there’s no need to take the law into your own hands.”
On the Kenyan side of the border some businesses closed up shop for a bit while the police ratcheted up their patrols. Reporters trying to get into Tanzania to cover the election meanwhile were coming up against not just a closed border but also limited internet access.
In Tanzania, the authorities were enforcing a 6pm curfew in an effort to keep a lid on things. It looked like President Samia Suluhu was heading for a pretty big victory after the opposition – led by Tundu Lissu, who was still locked up and had been due to run – had boycotted the election citing all sorts of irregularities.
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Border Tensions Rise as Tanzania Election Protests Spill Over Into Kenya