Tanzania’s national police force has caused shock and confusion online after its official X account was hacked early this morning.
The unknown hackers posted a fake announcement claiming that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had died.
The message, which quickly spread across social media, read: “With deep sorrow, we confirm the death of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania.
“We ask all citizens to remain calm and uphold unity during this difficult time. May her soul rest in eternal peace.”
In addition to the fake death announcement, the hackers also posted explicit sexual content and abusive language on the account, leaving many users stunned and questioning the digital security of key government systems.
This incident comes just a day after President Samia publicly warned Kenyan activists who had crossed into Tanzania to show solidarity with opposition figure Tundu Lissu.
She instructed Tanzanian police to arrest those activists, a move that stirred political tension across the border, especially after some Kenyans had earlier been deported back to Kenya
It is still unclear whether the hackers are from Kenya or elsewhere. However, the attack echoes similar breaches recently seen in Kenya, where the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) account was also compromised, with posts related to cryptocurrency and digital scams appearing.
By Kenyans