Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has won a landslide victory in the country’s general election, official results showed on Saturday.
According to the electoral commission, Hassan secured 97.66 per cent of the vote, winning in every constituency across the country. The results were announced on state television, which also confirmed that she would be sworn in later on Saturday.
However, the election has been marred by violence and widespread protests following the jailing or disqualification of key opposition candidates. The main opposition party, Chadema, claims that hundreds of people have been killed by security forces since demonstrations began on election day last Wednesday.
Hassan, who became president in 2021 after the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, has faced internal resistance from parts of the military and Magufuli’s loyalists. Analysts believe her overwhelming win is an attempt to strengthen her control over the ruling party and the government.
Rights groups have accused the government of using intimidation and violence in the lead-up to the vote. Reports of abductions and arrests of activists and opposition figures increased sharply in the final days before the election.
Chadema was barred from contesting the polls, and its leader is currently facing trial on treason charges. On election day, tension escalated across major cities as angry crowds tore down campaign posters and clashed with police at polling stations. The government imposed a curfew and shut down internet services nationwide.
A Chadema spokesman said about 700 people were killed in the unrest, citing information collected from hospitals and clinics across the country. Security sources and diplomatic officials in Dar es Salaam also confirmed that the death toll was “in the hundreds.”
Despite the controversy, state media reported that preparations were already underway for President Hassan’s swearing-in ceremony as she begins a new term in office.
