Tanzanian celebs fled to Mombasa over election protests in 2025 as whispers turned to a full-blown exodus tale Wednesday, as unverified reports swirled that Bongo Flava king Diamond Platnumz and his protégé Zuchu bolted across the border to the coastal haven, dodging a mob backlash against stars accused of pocketing CCM cash to hype President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s reelection bid amid the bloodied ballot chaos gripping Dar es Salaam.
The grapevine lit up faster than a Swahili sunset, with Tanzanian sources leaking to Kenyan bloggers that at least a dozen high-profile names had slipped out pre-vote, luggage light and alibis ready.
Diamond, the face of East African swagger with his Wasafi empire, topped the hit list after a viral clip resurfaced of him at a CCM rally last month, mic in hand, crooning “Samia ni moto” to a sea of party scarves.
“He got paid handsomely, 50 million TSh per show,” claimed an anonymous promoter from Arusha, voice distorted in a Telegram voice note bouncing through encrypted chats.
Zuchu, fresh off a hit collab with Diamond’s label, followed suit, her Instagram having gone radio silent since Monday’s polls.
“They targeted her for that endorsement post, all smiles with the president’s flag,” the source added. “Now, protesters chant her name like a curse in the streets.” Mombasa’s Nyali beaches, usually a celeb playground for low-key escapes, buzzed with undercover sightings.
No photos, but the rumour mill churned: Diamond holed up in a cliffside villa, and Zuchu was spotted at a discreet spa, both channelling that post-gig glow-up while Tanzania burnt.
Broader claims painted a panicked parade, from rapper Harmonise jetting to Nairobi’s Westlands clubs to actress Vanessa Mdee hunkering in Zanzibar’s back alleys before a midnight ferry hop.
“More fled before they even voted,” one exile insider texted from a burner app. “Afraid of being cornered at stations or doxxed online.”
Back home, the unrest painted targets on glitter. Post-election fury, with Chadema crying foul over Hassan’s 97 per cent preliminary haul, spilt into celeb hunts.
In Dar’s Kariakoo market, turned makeshift barricade, youth in keffiyehs torched billboards of endorsement ads, flames licking Diamond’s smirking billboard first.
“Traitors for hire”, scrawled graffiti read, linking stars to CCM’s war chest. Social sleuths dug up receipts: sponsored posts, rally cameos, and even a Zuchu track remixed with party slogans.
“We voted with stones because ballots were bought,” a 22-year-old demonstrator, Amina from Temeke, told BBC via smuggled footage before the blackout.