Alikiba drops first song after Tanzania’s political turmoil
By Ascah Mwango, November 29, 2025Tanzanian musician Alikiba has released a new single, the first one since the country went through weeks of tension and election violence.
The song dubbed Rafiki, celebrates the beauty of true friendship, and it has picked up more than 99,000 views on YouTube just hours after it came out.
The release comes weeks after Alikiba apologised to Tanzanians. He had faced backlash, together with other big artistes, after they publicly supported President Samia Suluhu Hassan before the general election.
Alikiba was one of several artists, including Diamond Platnumz, Zuchu, Harmonise, Rayvanny and Nandy, who were criticised for appearing to take sides during a sensitive political moment.
Many fans felt the endorsements were insensitive, especially at a time when people were complaining about unfair political conditions.
In a short message on his Instagram stories, he wrote “Poleni ndugu zangu Watanzania na ninaomba msamaha kwa kuwa kwaza.”
The situation in Tanzania has been tense since the October 29, 2025, election. President Samia was announced the winner with more than 97 per cent of the vote.
Opposition groups said the election was not free, and that major opposition figures had been pushed out long before voting day.
Protests broke out in Dar es Salaam and other cities soon after. Security forces used tear gas and live bullets to break up crowds. There was also a countrywide internet blackout, which made it difficult for people to share updates or verify information.
Rights groups say the number of deaths may be in the hundreds, while the government has only confirmed some cases and said it has opened investigations.