Prime
Tanzania VP orders police cyber patrol ahead of General Election
Vice President Dr Philip Mpango arrives at the Tanzania Police School grounds in Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region.
What you need to know:
- Mpango urged the force to work closely with other state agencies to monitor and swiftly act on incitement and misinformation spread via social media and other platforms.
Moshi. Vice-President Dr Philip Mpango has issued seven directives to the Tanzania Police Force, among them a call to intensify cyber surveillance to detect and analyse online content that could breach the law as the country approaches the General Election.
Opening the annual conference of senior police officers at the Tanzania Police School in Moshi on Monday, August 11, 2025 Dr Mpango urged the force to work closely with the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and other state agencies to monitor and swiftly act on incitement and misinformation spread via social media and other platforms.
He warned that artificial intelligence could be used to produce fake images and videos of candidates, potentially jeopardising peace and stability.
“The Police Force must be fully prepared to conduct cyber patrols and take prompt legal action,” he said.
Dr Mpango also called for stronger collaboration with all election stakeholders, including the electoral commission, political parties, religious and traditional leaders, activists, and both local and international observers.
He cited priority areas such as ensuring campaign rallies are held only at authorised venues and times, preventing unauthorised demonstrations, and protecting candidates regardless of political affiliation. He emphasised impartial enforcement of electoral laws and cautioned citizens against taking the law into their own hands.
The Vice-President further directed the police to cooperate with the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) and other security organs to tackle election-related corruption. “Leaders elected through corrupt means lack commitment to safeguarding national resources,” he said.
He also stressed the role of community policing and close cooperation with local government leaders to maintain peace at ward, village, and neighbourhood levels.
Inspector General of Police Camillus Wambura assured delegates that the security situation in the country was calm and that the police were fully prepared to safeguard peace before, during, and after the polls.
Kilimanjaro regional commissioner Nurdin Babu echoed the warning, telling those planning to disrupt peace in the region during the elections to “find somewhere else to go”.
The conference, which ends on 15 August, is reviewing police performance and setting strategies to ensure a peaceful election under the theme Peace, stability, and security before, during, and after the General Election.
