Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan was officially sworn into a full term Monday after claiming a landslide victory, despite widespread allegations of a flawed electoral process and violent unrest. The electoral commission announced she won with nearly 98 % of the vote, following a contest in which her two main challengers had been disqualified.
Observers called the vote a travesty of democracy, noting that many citizens “could not express their democratic will” under severe restrictions.
Hassan, 65, initially assumed the presidency in 2021 after the sudden death of John Magufuli. Monday’s inauguration took place at a military base in Dodoma, where she addressed visiting heads of state from Somalia, Mozambique, Zambia, and Burundi.
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In her oath and remarks, she urged unity: “Life must continue … our responsibility is to build our today to be better than our yesterday. I beg that we continue protecting our values of unity and collaboration.” She also condemned the protests as having been “violent and destructive,” and acknowledged that lives were lost, without providing a figure.
The election sparked fierce backlash across the country. At least 10 deaths were reported by the U.N. human rights office from credible sources, though the opposition claims that the toll was much higher. The government dismissed higher numbers as “hugely exaggerated.”
Opposition groups centered on CHADEMA, which was barred from participating after refusing to sign a code of conduct, accused the vote of being entirely fabricated. The party’s leader, Tundu Lissu, was arrested earlier in the year on treason charges.
Observers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) criticized widespread restrictions placed on opposition activity and noted reports of ballot box stuffing and vote suppression.
Meanwhile, internet access, already suspended on election day, remained disrupted as of Monday. Heavy security presence persisted in Dar es Salaam, and civil servants were instructed to work from home.
Hassan entered office in 2021 amid optimism. She was credited with liberalizing some of Magufuli’s more repressive measures. Yet her tenure has also seen increased detentions, alleged abductions of critics, and murky investigations into missing persons, none of which has yielded public findings.
Human rights groups and international bodies have called on the new government to uphold fundamental rights and review the legitimacy of the electoral process. The African Union congratulated Hassan but urged her to protect civil liberties.