Dodoma, Tanzania · 1 November 2025 — Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the country's disputed general election on 1 November 2025, securing 97.66 percent of the vote after the two largest opposition parties were barred from participating. The announcement by the electoral commission triggered days of violent protests across major cities, with conflicting reports of casualties ranging from dozens to hundreds of deaths.
Hassan, representing the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, secured a second term after dominating every constituency in the 29 October vote. Alongside the presidential victory, the CCM won 270 out of 272 directly elected seats in the National Assembly, consolidating the party's grip on power in a contest that international observers and rights groups described as lacking democratic standards.
Opposition Exclusion
The election's credibility was fundamentally compromised by the exclusion of the two largest opposition parties. Chadema, the main opposition party, was barred from participating, and its leader Tundu Lissu has been jailed for months, charged with treason after he called for electoral reforms that he said were a prerequisite for free and fair elections. Lissu denies the charges. Another opposition figure, Luhaga Mpina of the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo), was also barred from running.
Post-Election Violence
The election period was marked by significant civil unrest. Demonstrations erupted across major cities in response to the exclusion of opposition candidates and the conduct of the election. Despite a heavy security presence, election day descended into chaos, with some demonstrators tearing down banners of Hassan and setting fire to government buildings. Police fired tear gas and gunshots to disperse crowds.
Internet connectivity watchdog NetBlocks reported that access to social media and mobile internet was restricted across several cities during and after the vote, a tactic increasingly used by governments across the continent to suppress protest coordination and information sharing.
The scale of casualties remains deeply contested:
| Source | Reported Casualties |
|---|---|
| Chadema (opposition party) | "No less than 800" killed |
| UN Human Rights Office | At least 10 killed in three cities |
| Tanzanian government | "No official figures" — dismissed opposition claims |
Chadema spokesman John Kitoka told AFP that the party's monitors had reported "no less than 800 people" killed by security forces in protests during the week. The party had earlier cited figures of "about 700" based on a network checking hospitals and health clinics. The government dismissed these figures as "hugely exaggerated."
Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo told Al Jazeera that the authorities had acted appropriately and the election was conducted fairly. "No excessive force has been used," he said, adding that the government has "no official figures" on any protesters killed.
International Reaction
The international community responded with deep concern. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply concerned" about the situation in Tanzania, "including reports of deaths and injuries during the demonstrations," according to a statement from his spokesman.
African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf struck a more nuanced tone, congratulating Hassan on X (formerly Twitter) while also stating he "deeply regrets the loss of human life during the post-electoral protests and extends his sincere condolences to the families of the victims." The AU and SADC (Southern African Development Community) both issued statements critical of the electoral process, with some reports indicating they condemned the final results.
A Generation Z Uprising
Alex Vines, the Africa director of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), described the situation as "a very serious crackdown" and stressed that most of the protesters were young people — namely Generation Z. "There are many young Tanzanians, who think they have been left behind," Vines told Al Jazeera from London, noting that the level of violence surrounding the polls, with hundreds of reported deaths, was unexpected in Tanzania.
"It clearly is not a credible election," Vines said, describing a "campaign of harassment and intimidation" toward the opposition. The analyst's assessment underscores a broader continental trend: young Africans, increasingly connected and informed through digital platforms, are challenging entrenched political systems that offer few avenues for meaningful participation.
The Gen Z-led protests in Tanzania echo similar movements seen across Africa in 2024 and 2025, from Kenya's anti-finance bill protests to Nigeria's EndBadGovernance demonstrations. These movements represent a generational shift in political engagement, with young people leveraging social media for mobilization even as governments respond with internet shutdowns and security force deployments.
Hassan's Response
In her victory speech at an event in the administrative capital Dodoma, Hassan highlighted that Tanzanians voted overwhelmingly for a female leader and called for unity. "Now the election is over, it's time to unite our country and not destroy what we've built over more than six decades," she said. "We will take all actions and involve all security agencies to ensure the country is peaceful."
Hassan described the actions of the protesters as "neither responsible nor patriotic" and issued a stern warning: "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."
Rights groups allege Hassan oversaw a "wave of terror" in the country before the vote, including a string of high-profile abductions that escalated in the final days of the campaign. The government has rejected criticisms of its human rights record.
Historical Context
Hassan took power in March 2021 following the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, who had overseen a significant democratic backsliding during his five-year presidency. Magufuli's government banned opposition rallies, arrested critics, and passed laws restricting independent media. There was initial hope that Hassan, Tanzania's first female president, would reverse these trends. Early in her tenure, she lifted some restrictions on media and political gatherings.
However, as the 2025 election approached, the political environment deteriorated significantly. The barring of Chadema, the imprisonment of Lissu, and the reported abductions of opposition figures marked a return to — and in some respects an intensification of — the repressive tactics of the Magufuli era.
Implications for African Governance
The Tanzanian election is part of a broader pattern of democratic erosion across the continent in 2025. In the same month, Côte d'Ivoire held a presidential election where the main opposition candidates were also barred, resulting in a similar landslide for the incumbent. The convergence of these trends — in two of Africa's largest economies — suggests a worrying regional pattern of incumbents using legal and institutional mechanisms to eliminate competition while maintaining a veneer of constitutional legitimacy.
The African Union's response will be closely watched. The continental body has struggled to enforce its own democratic charter, particularly when member states use constitutional or legal procedures to undermine political competition. The tension between respecting national sovereignty and upholding democratic norms remains a persistent challenge for the AU's governance architecture.
Sources
- Al Jazeera, "Tanzanian President Hassan declared winner of disputed vote with 98 percent," 1 November 2025. Available at:
- PBS NewsHour, "Tanzanian president Hassan wins disputed election by a landslide, official results show," November 2025. Available at:
- Modern Diplomacy, "Tanzania's 2025 Elections: AU and SADC Condemn Final Results," 11 November 2025. Available at:
- The Citizen (Tanzania), "President Samia wins Tanzania poll with 98pc amidst protests," November 2025. Available at:
- Mashariki Research and Policy Centre, "Tanzania's 2025 Elections and the Future of Democracy in the Greater Eastern Africa," 2025. Available at:
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