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CHADEMA Expresses Gratitude to Kenya for Breaking Tanzania’s Media Blackout

DAR ES SALAAM — Tanzania’s main opposition party has publicly thanked Kenyan media and citizens for highlighting political struggles that local journalists cannot freely report due to strict censorship.

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Deogratias Munishi, International Secretary for the Party for Democracy and Progress (CHADEMA), called the cross-border support “a real help” during a press briefing on Wednesday.

“When our own media houses are constrained from telling our story, we have found allies across the border who are willing to shine a light on what is happening here,” Munishi said.

Kenyan news outlets, satirical platforms, and social media users have covered issues Tanzanian media cannot touch, including electoral integrity concerns, restrictions on opposition activities, and the treatment of political figures. This coverage has reached international audiences and Tanzanians who access news through digital channels.

The situation highlights stark differences in press freedom across East Africa. While Kenya faces its own media challenges, it maintains a comparatively open environment that has become a crucial platform for Tanzanian opposition voices.

CHADEMA has faced significant pressure in recent years, with members reporting arrests and restrictions on public gatherings. The party contends these measures violate democratic principles, though Tanzanian officials have defended media regulations as necessary for maintaining stability.

Political analysts note this cross-border information flow demonstrates the difficulty of controlling narratives in the digital age, though they caution that external coverage may lack local context and nuance.

The opposition’s acknowledgment of Kenyan support may signal a new strategy of using regional platforms to amplify concerns that cannot be voiced domestically.