As the election campaigns in Tanzania clock three weeks, there are signs that the tone of some of the campaigners is steadily becoming uglier with accusations and counter-accusations of foul play dominating the headlines.
The two main contenders, CCM's John Magufuli and Chadema's Edward Lowassa, have avoided trading mudslinging barbs but their lieutenants have demonstrated no such restraint.
Even outgoing President Jakaya Kikwete, the CCM chairman, has not stayed above the fray, allowing himself to be drawn into a verbal tussle with Chadema's chief legal counsel Tundu Lissu over who was responsible for the so-called Richmond scandal.
Whereas the head of state had hinted at a public meeting that it was Lowassa who was responsible, Lissu insisted it was the president who was implicated.
An article published in an American newspaper and purportedly authored by CCM secretary-general Abdulrahman Kinana criticised Lowassa over a statement the latter is alleged to have made to the effect that he would, if elected, free Muslim clerics imprisoned in Zanzibar for terrorism. He implied that Lowassa supports terrorism.
Then claims emerged that an opposition party was training youths in a neighbouring country to deploy them to disrupt the October 25 election. There has been no substantiation of these claims and, apart from the authorities saying they would investigate, little has come out of the statements. What has happened for sure is that a couple of people have died in campaign-related violence.
Fearing escalation in violence as polling day draws closer, several institutions, including religious and civil society organisations, have called for moderation in the speeches made at campaign rallies and restraint in the tone of messages carried on social media. However, the recently enacted social media law, ostensibly designed to curb cyber crime, is yet to be put into action.
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