The Tanzania Police Force has announced that several suspects are facing serious charges linked to terrorism and the promotion of civil unrest, following a statement released by Police Headquarters in Dodoma on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
According to the statement, the group had been under surveillance by defence and security agencies for some time due to their activities on various platforms, including social media. Authorities allege that the suspects were planning and inciting chaos and violence through protests that do not conform to the laws of the country.
The Police Spokesman said the evidence gathered against the accused is comprehensive and covers both digital and physical interactions. “Evidence collected through various means showed the existence of conspiracy, planning by words and by actions through face-to-face meetings, and discussions in online clubs which even those who managed to enter heard,” the statement read. In addition, the suspects are accused of preparing and distributing various messages through networks and leaflets that were circulated in different areas.
The police said the allegations against the group go beyond the organisation of illegal demonstrations. The statement revealed a series of plots that authorities described as aimed at destabilising national security and public order. These include alleged plans to assassinate government leaders and private citizens who did not support the group’s agenda.
In what the police called an attempt to create widespread panic, the suspects allegedly planned to burn schools to bring fear and panic to parents and guardians. There were also alleged plots to sabotage the national power grid by blowing up electrical transformers so that the country remains in darkness.
To further hinder the government’s response, the suspects reportedly planned to cut down trees to block roads, to prevent defence and security forces from reaching targeted areas quickly to assist. The statement further alleged that the suspects intended to destroy and burn both public and private property.
Perhaps most concerning to authorities, according to the statement, were reports of planned attacks on security officers with the specific intention of robbing them of weapons to use them to achieve the goals they had planned.
The Police Force has categorised these actions as acts of terrorism under Tanzanian law. In the statement, the spokesman clarified that, legally, terrorist acts include conspiracy, planning, and inciting to perform acts built on fear to cause great fear to people, planning and inciting to injure and kill people, inciting to rob weapons, and preventing essential services by destroying infrastructure.
The police said judicial proceedings against the suspects have commenced. “Others will continue to be brought to court, including those who are still being sought following the evidence collected,” the statement noted.
The Tanzania Police Force, in collaboration with other security agencies, has vowed to continue its duties with a high level of professionalism to ensure the safety of all Tanzanians and the nation at large. The public has been encouraged to remain law-abiding as judicial proceedings against the suspects continue.
