Tanzanian businesswoman and influencer Jenifer Jovin, popularly known as Niffer, was on Thursday arraigned at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court alongside 21 others to face three counts of treason.
According to Tanzanian media, prosecutors allege the 22 planned to destabilize the country ahead of the 2025 General Election.
The first count accuses all of conspiring to commit treason, while the second, excluding Niffer, claims the 21 co-accused orchestrated violence and destruction of public property linked to pre-election unrest.
The third charge, directed solely at Niffer, accuses her of inciting the public to interfere with the electoral process and urging citizens to buy tear gas-resistant masks from her store.
Authorities say the case follows an investigation into recent incidents of political violence. The accused are being held pending further directions from the court.
Tanzania’s Election Violence Casualties
Tanzania has recently experienced widespread and deadly post-election violence following the disputed general election on October 29, 2025.
Protests erupted across the country after President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with nearly 98% of the vote in an election largely without opposition, leading to a brutal crackdown by security forces.
The death toll is disputed. The main opposition party, Chadema, claims that hundreds of people (over 700 to 800) were killed in the crackdown, with bodies reportedly dumped in mass graves.
The Tanzanian government has dismissed these figures as “greatly exaggerated” and denies using excessive force, but international bodies and human rights groups have cited “credible reports” of numerous fatalities and injuries
