The Tanzanian Police Force has confirmed that its official X (formerly Twitter) account was briefly compromised on Tuesday morning, after a false announcement was posted alleging the death of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
In a statement issued later that day, the police described the incident as a deliberate act of cybercrime and disinformation, aimed at misleading the public and sowing panic.
“The Police Force wishes to inform the public that false, misleading, and unethical statements are being circulated on its social media platform (tanpol), aimed at deceiving the public into believing that these claims were issued by the Police Force through its official X account,” read part of the statement.
Authorities clarified that the Force does not and cannot use official social media platforms to disseminate unverified or sensational content, especially regarding matters of national importance.
According to the statement, the breach occurred early Tuesday morning, when unauthorized users accessed the police account and briefly hosted a live X Space.
During the intrusion, a post falsely announcing President Suluhu’s death was published, triggering alarm across social media.
“With deep sorrow, we confirm the death of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania. We urge all citizens to remain calm and uphold unity during this difficult time. May God rest her soul in eternal peace,” the now-deleted post falsely claimed.
The Tanzanian Police Force said that investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those behind the hacking and misinformation campaign.
They also urged citizens to remain calm, ignore the rumors, and avoid further spreading of the false claims.
The cyberattack comes amid rising political tensions in the region. President Suluhu has recently been in the spotlight following the detention and deportation of several prominent Kenyan political figures and activists including Martha Karua and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga who were barred from entering Tanzania as they attempted to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
In response to the backlash, President Suluhu delivered a firm statement defending Tanzania’s actions and sovereignty.
“We have started to observe a trend in which activists from within our region are attempting to intrude and interfere in our affairs,” the president said.
“They have destroyed their own countries, and now the only peaceful and united nation left is ours.
We must not allow those who have brought chaos elsewhere to come and create problems here.”
President Suluhu emphasized that under her leadership, foreign nationals will not be permitted to disrupt Tanzania’s peace or political stability.
She added that it remains her constitutional responsibility to maintain law and order.
The hacking incident has reignited conversations about digital security and the use of social media to spread politically charged disinformation.
As investigations continue, the Tanzanian government has pledged to tighten cybersecurity measures to prevent similar breaches in the future.
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