On Thursday, the aftermath of Tanzania's general election spilled over into Kenya when an internet shutdown paralysed operations at the Namanga One-Stop Border Post (OSBP).
Fearing reprisals from the Tanzanian police force (TPF), hundreds of Tanzanian protesters crossed into Kenya and lit bonfires. They were supported by some Kenyan traders at the border.
By mid-morning, tear gas smoke had enveloped the border adjacent to the Kenya customs offices, prompting people seeking customs services to flee for safety.
Security personnel in Tanzania during the general election on October 29, 2025.
Photo credit: BBC
Chanting anti-government slogans, the protesters destroyed President Samia Suluhu's election billboards, terming the Wednesday elections a sham.
"The election that took place in our homeland is a sham. The outcome is pre-determined. The State is using government machinery to silence us," said Denis Chitundu, a trader.
The internet shutdown affected cargo clearance at the border. Transit trucks carrying goods remained parked at the border parking bay.
A handful of tourists' vehicles were parked in Namanga town near the customs offices, which experienced minimal activity on Thursday.
Nancy Muna, a dejected cross-border flower trader from Kenya, told the Nation that three of her trucks carrying perishable goods had been held on the Tanzanian side since Wednesday, when the internet connectivity went down.
"Systems are down at Tanzania customs. No clearance of cargo. Kenyan systems are working but importation has to be cleared first from the state of origin. We are staring at millions [of shillings] in losses," said Ms Mwangi.
An injured man is carried away following protests in Tanzania during the country's elections on October 29, 2025.
Photo credit: BBC
Kenyan customs officials told the Nation in confidence that the shutdown of the internet on the Tanzanian side had affected Kenyan customs by default.
"The visitors we have cleared on our side are ideally stranded considering the other side is slow," an official said.
Kajiado County Police Commander Alex Shikondi said that Kenyan police had been deployed to calm the situation and push back the Tanzanians.
"Kenyans do not have an issue. It's Tanzanians who have crossed to Kenya causing mayhem by pelting stones at Tanzanian police," he said.
