Tanzanian activist Mange Kimambi has written an urgent letter to United States President Donald Trump, accusing Meta of unjustly shutting down her social-media accounts.
Kimambi, who has lived in the US since 2012, argued the deactivations have silenced one of the few remaining channels documenting alleged human-rights abuses in her home country.
In her letter, which she shared on X, Kimambi said Meta removed her Instagram accounts, including her personal page and a popular news platform, as well as her WhatsApp line.
This, she says, came shortly after she used them to highlight alleged state-linked kidnappings, killings, corruption and the suppression of opposition politics ahead of Tanzania’s 2025 general election.
@realDonaldTrump
Dear Mr. President,
My name is Mange Kimambi, and I am a Tanzanian pro-democracy activist who has been living in the United States since 2012. I am writing to bring to your attention what I believe to be a grave injustice committed against the people of…
— Mange Kimambi (@mangekimambi) December 4, 2025
“My social-media platforms were essential tools for communicating with supporters, organising peaceful civic action, and documenting human-rights abuses in real time. Their removal has severely hindered the ability of Tanzanians to access truthful information and to organise safely,” she wrote.
The activist linked the takedowns to escalating tensions in Tanzania, where demonstrations erupted on 29 October 2025 as Gen Z–led protests challenged the credibility of the election in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan claimed 98 per cent of the vote.
Kimambi alleges thousands of young people were killed when security forces responded with lethal force, arguing that with traditional media in Tanzania weakened and journalists facing intimidation or worse, diaspora-run social platforms have become vital tools for sharing reliable information.
“The government has been widely accused of kidnapping, torturing, or killing individuals who speak out against injustice, which makes digital communication one of the only remaining tools for civic engagement. Every post I made emphasised peaceful, non-violent protests,” she said.
She further claims Meta may have acted under political pressure, pointing out that fellow Tanzanian campaigner Maria Sarungi’s accounts were restricted within Tanzania on the same day.
Kimambi is now asking Trump to publicly urge Meta to reinstate her accounts and to push for legislation that grants activists stronger legal protections when their platforms are taken down without clear explanation or due process.
“I respectfully ask that you publicly urge Meta to reinstate my accounts without delay,” she said.
Kimambi’s letter comes barely a month after Tanzanian Attorney General Hamza Said Johari publicly demanded her arrest.
The demand, highlighted in a video, featured Johari labelling Kimambi’s online activism as incitement and urging authorities to act to safeguard national stability.
He further directed the DPP that she must be arrested, an action that is yet to be followed through.