Quick Read
- President Hassan was declared winner of Tanzania’s 2025 elections with 98% of the vote amid widespread fraud allegations.
- Nationwide protests erupted, with hundreds reportedly killed as security forces cracked down.
- Opposition party CHADEMA rejected the results, demanding new elections under international supervision.
- Internet access was restricted, curfews imposed, and journalists barred from reporting.
- International bodies, including the AU and EU, voiced concern over violence and called for accountability.
Election Results Ignite Nationwide Anger
On October 29, 2025, Tanzania’s political landscape was upended as President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared winner of the presidential election with a staggering 98 percent of the vote. The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has governed Tanzania for over six decades, claimed a landslide, but the announcement was met with immediate disbelief and anger across the country.
What followed was a wave of demonstrations unprecedented in Tanzania’s post-independence history. From Dar es Salaam to Arusha, Mbeya, Mwanza, and beyond, hundreds of thousands—perhaps millions—took to the streets, challenging curfews, braving clouds of teargas, and risking live ammunition fired by security forces. The protests weren’t confined to the political elite. They drew in workers, youth, and even prominent artists—whose association with the CCM regime had made them targets.
As images of burning ballot boxes and torched portraits of President Hassan circulated, the mood turned from frustration to outrage. Police stations, vehicles, and homes belonging to CCM officials and their allies were set ablaze, signaling a rejection not just of the election results, but of the entrenched social order itself.
Opposition Silenced, Citizens Mobilize
The main opposition party, Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), was sidelined from the race after refusing to sign an electoral code of conduct and seeing its leader, Tundu Lissu, imprisoned on treason charges. Their exclusion fueled public perception that the election was, in their words, “a coup against Tanzanians.”
In a series of statements, CHADEMA denounced the results as fabricated and demanded a fresh vote overseen by credible international observers. “These results have no basis in reality,” said Secretary General John Mnyika. The party’s calls for intervention by the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) underscored both their desperation and the gravity of the situation.
Yet, despite their statements, CHADEMA was not directing the protests. The demonstrations appeared spontaneous—driven not by politicians but by ordinary citizens, many of them young, angry at the exclusion of opposition voices and the heavy-handed response by authorities. For three days, the country ground to a halt. Businesses shuttered, transport systems froze, and a national shutdown took hold in major cities.
Violence and Repression: A Fractured State
The government’s response was swift and severe. Security forces deployed across urban centers, imposing curfews and restricting internet access. According to CHADEMA, as many as 800 people may have been killed. Other estimates, including a diplomatic source cited by the BBC, placed the death toll above 500. The United Nations human rights office reported at least 10 confirmed deaths in three cities, but with foreign journalists barred and local media echoing official statements, the true scale remains obscured.
Opposition figures and human rights organizations described widespread arrests, abductions, and the use of live ammunition against demonstrators. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation condemned the ban on opposition participation, internet blackouts, and violence against protestors, calling the government’s actions an “authoritarian turn.” Their warning was stark: Tanzania risked following the path of other unstable states in the region.
President Hassan, whose public appearances have been rare since the election, briefly surfaced in Dodoma to collect her winner’s certificate. Her message was uncompromising: “When it comes to the security of Tanzania, there is no debate—we must use all available security avenues to ensure the country remains safe.” Afterward, she vanished from public view, while her regime doubled down on efforts to maintain order.
Regional Reverberations and International Reactions
The unrest in Tanzania has sent shockwaves across East Africa. Fuel shortages and disrupted trade have been reported in Malawi and Rwanda. Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi condemned the actions of Kenyan protesters who crossed into Tanzania in solidarity, urging respect for national boundaries. Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, warned against “drawing silly ideas” from neighboring protests, highlighting the region’s nervous ruling classes.
The African Union congratulated Hassan on her victory but expressed regret over the loss of life, urging Tanzanian authorities to uphold fundamental rights and freedoms. The Council of the European Union issued a statement of “extreme concern,” calling for the immediate release of detained politicians, transparent investigations into abductions and violence, and guarantees of fair trials. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation and regional leaders, including Kenya’s Martha Karua, echoed demands for justice and accountability.
These reactions underscore a broader anxiety: East Africa’s youth are increasingly mobilized, demanding transparency and good governance. The Tanzanian protests mirror movements in Kenya and elsewhere, fueled by frustration over unemployment, inequality, and political exclusion.
The Road Ahead: Uncertainty and the Seeds of Change
As of now, the status of the protests remains unclear. With internet access restricted and a nationwide curfew in effect, the flow of information is tightly controlled. President Hassan’s regime has weathered the immediate storm, but the underlying grievances persist.
The opposition’s capacity to channel discontent remains limited, hampered by arrests and a history of compromise with the ruling party. The CCM’s grip on power is strong, but the scale and spontaneity of this year’s protests suggest a deeper shift. Tanzania’s youth have shown they are willing to challenge a system that has marginalized them for generations.
Across the region, leaders are watching closely. The specter of mass mobilization haunts ruling elites in Kenya, Uganda, and beyond, many of whom preside over nations with some of the world’s youngest populations. In a landscape marked by poverty, hunger, and the absence of opportunity, the call for change is growing louder.
For Tanzania, the challenge now is not simply restoring order, but reckoning with the demands for genuine democracy and accountability. Whether the current movement can translate into lasting political change remains to be seen. But as one observer put it, “a new generation is rising that is opposed to the whole post-independence order.”
President Hassan’s disputed victory has laid bare Tanzania’s underlying tensions—between entrenched power and popular demand for reform. The fierce crackdown may have suppressed immediate unrest, but it cannot erase the anger that has united citizens across social divides. As Tanzania stands at a crossroads, the coming months will reveal whether calls for change are silenced or become the seeds of a new political future.