The chaos at Dar es Salaam’s bus stations on October 1, 2025, wasn’t really about buses. Anyone who watched hundreds of passengers shouting “Just kill us!” and abandoned drivers fleeing the scene knows this was about far more than public transport.

Yes, overcrowded buses and delayed TransDar deployments sparked the immediate unrest. But look closer: this is the voice of a nation tired of broken promises, political deceit, and leadership that doesn’t care. The buses are just the excuse—the symptoms, not the cause.

The Real Frustration

Tanzanians are exhausted. For years, they’ve been fed political slogans and shiny projects with little substance. From promises of development to assurances of transparency, the narrative has been the same: big plans, empty follow-through.

People see a government that talks more than it delivers. They see leaders more concerned with politics than progress. They see a nation without true elders—patriotic custodians with hearts in the right place, willing to guide the country beyond party lines.

Wrong People, Wrong Time

The unrest exposes a painful truth: the wrong people are in office. Public frustration isn’t about which party runs the buses; it’s about who runs the country. When leadership lacks vision and integrity, citizens feel powerless, and even simple issues—like catching a bus—become symbolic of systemic failure.

The chants against CCM, the support for Tundu Lissu, the political slogans—it’s all a cry for change. People are not just angry about overcrowded buses; they are angry at a government that has repeatedly failed them, at leaders who prioritize power over people, at policies that favor optics over results.

What Tanzania Needs

We need more than buses. We need:

• Leaders with a stake in the nation’s future: Elders and politicians who act as guardians, not opportunists.
• Accountability beyond excuses: Systems that work, not just promises that sound good on paper.
• True change: Policies and governance that empower citizens rather than frustrate them.

Until we confront these deeper issues, incidents like the BRT unrest will repeat, and the streets will remain the only place citizens feel heard. The buses, the shortages, the delays—they are the spark. But the tinder is decades of political deceit, failed promises, and leadership without heart.

Dar es Salaam didn’t riot because of buses. It rioted because it’s tired of being lied to. And until those in power recognize that, no amount of infrastructure or contracts will satisfy a nation seeking truth and genuine change.