Just days before planned mass protests in Tanzania, US-based activist Mange Kimambi has been effectively wiped from the digital map, with her Instagram and WhatsApp accounts deactivated in a move that has ignited a firestorm over digital censorship in East Africa.

The de-platforming of Kimambi, a polarizing but pivotal figure in Tanzanian online discourse, comes at a critical juncture. With nearly three million followers, her accounts served as the primary mobilization hub for the December 9 demonstrations—coinciding with Tanzania’s Independence Day—aimed at challenging President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.

A Digital Blackout

Kimambi, who has resided in the United States since 2012, contends that the timing is no coincidence. In a desperate bid for international intervention, she penned an urgent letter to US President-elect Donald Trump, sharing it on X (formerly Twitter). She alleges that Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has succumbed to pressure from Dodoma to dismantle one of the few remaining independent channels documenting alleged state abuses.

According to Kimambi, her platforms were targeted immediately after she began highlighting a series of grim accusations against the state, including:

• State-linked kidnappings and extrajudicial killings.
• Systemic corruption within the ruling elite.
• Suppression of opposition politics ahead of the 2025 general election.

"This is not just about an account; it is about silencing the documentation of human rights abuses," Kimambi argued, framing the ban as a direct attack on free speech.

The 'Recidivism' Defense

Meta, however, has firmly rejected the notion of political collusion. In a statement addressing the shutdown, the tech giant cited its "recidivism policy"—a rule designed to prevent users from circumventing previous bans.

"We don’t allow people to create new accounts that are similar to those previously removed for violating our Community Standards," a Meta spokesperson clarified. The company maintains that the deactivation was a procedural enforcement of its terms of service, rather than a response to a government directive.

The Tanzanian government has also dismissed the allegations of interference. Chief Government Spokesman Gerson Msigwa challenged Kimambi to substantiate her claims, effectively shifting the burden of proof back to the activist.

A Pattern of Silence?

Despite Meta's technical explanation, the incident has deepened anxieties regarding the reach of Tanzanian regulators over US-based tech firms. The concern is compounded by the simultaneous targeting of Maria Sarungi-Tsehai, another prominent activist.

Meta confirmed that Sarungi-Tsehai’s Instagram account was geo-blocked specifically within Tanzania following a legal order from the government. Unlike Kimambi’s total deactivation, this was a localized restriction, yet it drew sharp criticism from Sarungi-Tsehai regarding the lack of due process.

"The question remains: how much authority do Tanzanian regulators hold over a US-based company?" Sarungi-Tsehai posed, highlighting the precarious position of digital rights advocates in the region.

As December 9 approaches, the digital blackout of its loudest organizers leaves the planned protests in uncertain territory, testing whether street mobilization can survive without its online engine.