Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of the 2025 general election with an overwhelming 97.66 per cent of the vote a result now clouded by controversy. The National Electoral Commission announced that 32.67 million of the country’s 37.7 million registered voters participated, representing an 86 per cent turnout. However, observers and opposition groups have questioned the figures, citing reports of violence, ballot box theft, and empty polling stations on election day.
The near-unanimous result contrasts sharply with previous elections, where turnout rarely exceeded 70 per cent. International monitors described the poll as one of Tanzania’s most chaotic, with incidents of ballot burning and intimidation. Comparatively, former presidents John Magufuli and Jakaya Kikwete won with 84 per cent and 80 per cent respectively in earlier, less turbulent polls. The unusually high voter turnout and margin have raised serious concerns about the credibility of the electoral process.
