Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan secures landslide victory amid deadly protest
Story by Tawheed Yakub
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured an overwhelming victory in the national election, winning 97.66% of the vote, according to results announced Saturday by the electoral commission on state television.
The announcement comes after days of violent unrest sparked by the vote, during which key opposition candidates were either jailed or excluded. A swift swearing-in ceremony was scheduled for Saturday, the state broadcaster confirmed.
The main opposition party, Chadema barred from contesting and with its leader facing treason charges claims hundreds of people have been killed by security forces since protests erupted on election day Wednesday. The party’s spokesman estimated “around 700” deaths, citing figures gathered from hospitals and clinics across the country. Diplomats and security sources also reported casualties “in the hundreds.”
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Hassan, who assumed office following the sudden death of former president John Magufuli in 2021, has been accused by rights groups of overseeing a harsh pre-election crackdown, including abductions of critics. Analysts say the election was seen as her attempt to secure her hold on power amid resistance from elements of the military and Magufuli-era loyalists.
Despite a heavy security presence, protests spread nationwide, with demonstrators tearing down campaign posters and attacking polling stations. Authorities imposed an internet shutdown and national curfew as violence escalated.
Hassan has not addressed the unrest publicly. Government officials deny using excessive force, insisting there is no confirmed death toll. Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo said Friday that authorities had “no figures” on fatalities.
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Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over reports of deaths and injuries. Public outrage has also focused on Hassan’s son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, who is accused by critics of overseeing the crackdown.
Tanzania remains under tight information restrictions, with news websites frozen since Wednesday and journalists facing movement limitations.
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