Protests have escalated in major cities across Tanzania, with opposition supporters denouncing Wednesday’s presidential and parliamentary elections as a “sham.”

Demonstrations grew violent as hundreds of protesters crossed into neighboring Kenya, barricading roads, lighting bonfires, and tearing down posters of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

According to Kenyan police, two individuals were killed while fleeing clashes with Tanzanian authorities during the unrest.

The protests have been fueled by accusations that the government is undermining democratic processes.

Opposition leaders point to the incarceration of the main opposition figure and the disqualification of another prominent candidate as evidence of a system rigged to favor Samia’s re-election.

The anger intensified on Thursday after the electoral commission began releasing results, showing Samia securing nearly 95% of the vote in the south-western Mbea province.

She has also taken the lead in numerous constituencies both on the mainland and in Zanzibar, further stoking suspicions of electoral manipulation.

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