President Samia Suluhu Hassan Secures First Elected Term

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA – Tanzania’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) has declared incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner of the country's general election held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. The results, announced amidst a tense political climate, grant the 65-year-old leader her first electoral mandate since she assumed the presidency in March 2021 following the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli. Official figures from the NEC indicated a commanding victory for President Suluhu of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, with reports citing her win at 85.4% of the vote. Other reports on Friday, October 31, 2025, cited official results showing a win of over 97%. The election was for the president, members of parliament, and local councillors.

Controversy and Opposition Crackdown

The election was held without the participation of the country's main opposition parties. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) barred the primary opposition party, Chadema, and the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo) from fielding presidential candidates. Chadema's prominent leader, Tundu Lissu, was disqualified and subsequently faced treason charges after calling for electoral reforms. Similarly, ACT-Wazalendo's candidate, Luhaga Mpina, was also barred from the ballot. This left President Suluhu to compete against 16 candidates from smaller parties who posed little significant challenge, leading critics to label the election a "sham." Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, had documented a pattern of repression, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances of opposition figures and activists in the months leading up to the vote.

Widespread Protests and Deadly Violence

The announcement of the election outcome was met with immediate and widespread protests across Tanzania, particularly in major urban centers like Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, and Mbeya. Demonstrations began on election day, Wednesday, October 29, 2025, and escalated over the following days. Protesters cited the exclusion of opposition candidates and allegations of electoral fraud as the primary drivers of the unrest. The government responded with a heavy security crackdown, deploying the military and imposing a nationwide curfew. Reports from international observers and media documented the use of live ammunition and tear gas by security forces against demonstrators. Casualty figures varied widely amidst an information vacuum. The United Nations human rights office reported on Friday, October 31, 2025, that it had received credible reports of at least 10 deaths. However, opposition party Chadema claimed the death toll was significantly higher, potentially reaching hundreds. These figures remain unconfirmed by independent bodies.

Internet Blackout and Information Control

Coinciding with the election and subsequent protests, Tanzania experienced a near-total internet shutdown. The blackout, which began on the morning of the vote on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, severely restricted access to social media and messaging platforms, creating an information blackout. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed the disruption, which lasted for over 18 hours, crippling digital services, including international money transfers that many Tanzanian families rely on. Digital rights advocates and international bodies like Amnesty International condemned the shutdown as a tool to suppress dissent and control the narrative by hindering communication among citizens and preventing the free flow of information. The government did not provide an official explanation for the outage.

Implications for Kenya and East Africa

The political instability in Tanzania has direct and immediate consequences for Kenya and the broader East African Community (EAC). The most visible impact was the spillover of protests to the shared border town of Namanga. Reports from Thursday, October 30, 2025, indicated that Tanzanian security forces fired tear gas across the border into Kenya as protesters sought refuge, forcing the closure of businesses and halting cross-border trade. The unrest highlights the fragility of regional stability when democratic processes are undermined in a key member state. For Kenya, which shares significant economic and trade links with Tanzania, a prolonged period of instability could disrupt supply chains, impact tourism, and deter investment. The situation presents a critical challenge to the EAC's principles of good governance and democracy, which are enshrined in its treaty. The response of regional bodies like the EAC and the African Union (AU), both of which deployed observer missions, will be closely watched. However, their silence in the face of pre-election red flags drew criticism for potentially legitimizing a flawed process. The long-term stability of the region hinges on a credible resolution to the political crisis in Tanzania and a commitment to democratic norms by all member states.