Samia Suluhu Declared Winner as Protests Erupt Over Barred Opponents — UN Calls for Investigation

Incumbent President Re-elected Amid Unrest and Questions Over Excluded Rivals

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of Saturday's presidential vote after receiving a reported 31.9 million votes, or 97.66% of ballots cast, the national electoral commission said. Authorities reported turnout of nearly 87% of the country's 37.6 million registered voters — a sharp rise from about 50% in 2020.

The election, contested by candidates from 17 parties, took place against a backdrop of sharp criticism and unrest after two leading opposition figures were prevented from standing. Tundu Lissu of the Party for Democracy and Progress is being detained on treason charges he denies, while Luhaga Mpina of the Alliance for Change and Transparency was disqualified on legal technicalities.

"We thank the security forces for ensuring that the violence did not stop voting," Samia, who became Tanzania's first female president in 2021, said at a victory celebration in Dodoma. "These incidents were not patriotic at all."

Samia described the vote as "free and democratic," but international observers and members of the European Parliament told The New York Times the process was marred by irregularities. During the unrest authorities implemented a nationwide internet shutdown and imposed curfews in several areas.

On Friday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged authorities to conduct "a thorough and impartial investigation into all allegations of excessive use of force" and to ensure accountability and transparency in the post-election period.

Despite reports of clashes, electoral commission chief Jacobs Mwambegele said the ballot was conducted smoothly and thanked political parties, candidates and supporters for maintaining peace. Foreign Minister Mahmoud Kombo Thabit described the incidents as "a few isolated pockets of incidents here and there." Independent accounts and observers, however, reported confrontations in multiple cities in which protesters tore down campaign material and clashed with police.

The semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago held its own regional vote alongside the national contest; incumbent Hussein Mwinyi reportedly won nearly 80% of the vote there.

Samia, who had been vice president, assumed the presidency after the death of John Magufuli on March 17, 2021. Her ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (and its predecessor TANU), has dominated Tanzanian politics and has not lost a national election since independence. Tanganyika gained independence in 1961, Zanzibar in 1963, and the two merged in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania.

What to watch next

International and local calls for an independent review of the election process and any use of force will shape the coming days. Observers will be monitoring whether Tanzania's authorities allow transparent investigations and whether restrictions such as internet shutdowns are lifted.