Tanzania Slams CNN Over ‘Biased’ Election Violence Exposé By Larry Madowo

The Tanzanian government has launched a sharp attack on CNN, accusing the international broadcaster of misreporting the violence that followed the disputed October 29 election and of producing an investigation that it says is unfair, inaccurate and capable of fuelling further unrest.

Officials say a full verification of the report is underway and that a comprehensive state response will be issued once that process is complete, but the tone of the criticism already signals a deepening rift between Dodoma and global media outlets covering the crisis.

Chief Government Spokesperson Gerson Msigwa told journalists in Dar es Salaam that the CNN investigation, produced by Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo, did not meet basic standards of balance.

CNN journalist Larry Madowo

He said the government’s version of events was either ignored or downplayed and that no credible effort was made to obtain official comment before publication.

According to him, it is not true that CNN was unable to get the government’s side of the story and he described that claim as misleading.

Msigwa said he was disturbed that a global news organisation would publish what he termed a one-sided piece at a time when the country is mourning and tensions are still high.

He criticised the documentary’s use of graphic images of victims that circulated on social media platforms affiliated with the investigation, saying such material may attract clicks but violates the dignity of the dead and deepens public anger.

He added that the state is still grieving the loss of life and that a responsible media house should avoid content that worsens pain or stokes hostility.

The CNN report documented alleged police shootings of unarmed demonstrators during post-election unrest.

Using video analysis, interviews with witnesses and satellite images, it also featured claims that victims of the crackdown were secretly buried in mass graves to hide the scale of the killings.

The piece said authorities worked to remove bodies from morgues and deter journalists, opposition figures and rights groups from accessing affected sites.

Madowo defended his reporting, saying on social media that he had repeatedly applied for accreditation to cover the Tanzanian elections but was denied, which made it impossible for him to enter the country in a journalistic capacity during the vote.

He said his team worked with local witnesses, digital forensic experts and families of victims to piece together what happened in the absence of official access.

Tanzania has been in turmoil since the October 29 poll in which President Samia Suluhu was declared winner in an election that opposition parties insist was manipulated.

Protests erupted across major towns from early November as opposition leaders accused the government of suppressing dissent, arresting hundreds of their supporters and using treason charges to silence critics.

Rights groups have accused the security forces of disproportionate force, internet shutdowns and violations of basic freedoms. Government officials deny wrongdoing and maintain that the security services acted to restore order.

Under mounting pressure at home and abroad, President Samia recently appointed a Commission of Inquiry led by retired Chief Justice Mohamed Chande to investigate the violence and broader allegations raised by the opposition, foreign observers and international human rights bodies.

The government says the commission is independent and will establish the facts, while critics argue that only an international investigation can guarantee credibility.

With the review of CNN’s report still underway, Tanzania’s pushback has become part of a wider struggle over who gets to shape the narrative of one of the country’s most turbulent political moments in years.

Officials maintain that they are the victims of sensational foreign reporting designed to harm the nation’s image, while CNN says it has simply documented events that authorities would prefer to keep hidden.

For ordinary Tanzanians, the truth may only become clear once the commission tables its findings, but the political fight over the story is already well underway.