- Youth and activists held a candlelight vigil at Kenya’s National Memorial to honor Tanzanians who were killed after the October 29 election.
- Participants formed a circle around the Tanzanian flag, lit candles, displayed photos of the victims, and called for justice across the region.
- The gathering grew as Gen Z from several East African countries joined in, singing heartfelt songs and condemning the Tanzanian authorities.
- Human rights activist Hussein Khalid urged solidarity to continue, accusing the government of President Samia Suluhu of brutality
A section of young people and activists have held a candle lighting event in memory of Tanzanians who were killed following the elections held on October 29.
Source: Twitter
On Thursday, November 20, downtown Nairobi was quiet as night fell, the usual hustle and bustle replaced by a group of young people holding candles near the National Archives of Kenya.
How did Gen Z of Nairobi describe their solidarity?
The group, mostly Gen Z and activists from Kenya and other East African countries, gathered to pay tribute to Tanzanian protesters who were killed during a police crackdown against protest that followed the election.
Gathered in a circle, the youth kept their message strong, mourning the victims and pushing for justice across the region.
Young people lit candles one by one while others placed printed pictures of the victims around the circle with the flag of Tanzania in the middle
Some had Tanzanian flags while others had posters criticizing the leadership in Dar es Salaam under President Samia Suluhu.
The gathering grew as more people joined in, forming a tight circle around a large Tanzanian flag placed in the middle.
The participants sang heartfelt songs as they passed by the pictures of the deceased, while some of them, overcome with grief, wiped their faces.
What did the activist Hussein Khalid tell the meeting?
Organizers said the vigil served two purposes: to honor those killed in Tanzania’s post-election violence and to remind East African leaders that citizens across the region were watching.
Human rights activist and lawyer Hussein Khalid addressed the meeting when he gave a heartfelt message to Tanzanians.
The chief executive officer of VOCAL Africa (Executive Director) thanked the youth for coming out and standing in solidarity with Tanzanians who were mourning and demanding justice at home.
“Thank you for coming here and joining together with one voice to stand firm with our brothers and sisters in Tanzania. We tell them to know that here in Kenya they have brothers who will continue to stand with them. We urge Tanzanians to continue fighting for justice, to continue fighting for democracy,” he said.
He urged the citizens of the region to continue speaking, criticizing the actions of the Tanzanian authorities.
Source: UGC
Khalid said that the government of Sulu responded with brutality against citizens who were exercising their rights.
He reminded those gathered that fighting for justice was a common struggle in the entire East African region.
“So we are telling Tanzanians wherever they are to know that they are on the right side of history. We will continue to stand with them, and we are telling all leaders with colonial ideas who are now ruling our countries to know that their days are numbered. We will not allow ourselves, like East Africans, to be oppressed and mistreated by leaders who refuse to allow democracy to flourish in East Africa,” he added.
How many protesters were killed in Tanzania?
As previously reported, human rights groups accused the Tanzanian government of a brutal crackdown following the October 29 general election, claiming more than 3,000 people were killed.
Security forces are reported to have carried out night raids, arbitrary arrests, and targeted shootings in major cities, including Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, and Arusha.
Groups of alleged mass graves have been dug up to hide the scale of the violence.
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