08/11/2025
SULUHU: TANZANIA'S PRESIDENT WHO WON AGAINST HERSELF.
In an election like no other in Tanzania’s history, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has emerged victorious — but at a heavy cost to her nation’s unity and peace. What was once seen as a symbolic race to reaffirm her leadership turned into a national reckoning, marked by rising discontent, violent protests, and the awakening of a new political generation.
The 2025 general election was meant to be a straightforward reaffirmation of President Samia’s rule. With the opposition fractured, several leading candidates barred from running, and her own party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), controlling most political machinery, many Tanzanians described the race as Samia “running against herself.”
Yet beneath the calm of official campaigns, frustration simmered. Tanzania’s Gen Z population, long sidelined from politics, took to social media and later to the streets, voicing anger over economic stagnation, corruption, and restricted freedoms. What began as digital activism — under hashtags like and — soon evolved into a nationwide movement demanding transparency and reform.
When election results were announced — declaring Samia the overwhelming winner with over 90% of the vote — jubilation among her supporters was quickly drowned by the sound of sirens, gunfire, and grief. In Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Mwanza, and Arusha, young protesters clashed with police, accusing the government of silencing dissent.
Rights organizations have since reported that dozens of demonstrators were killed and hundreds arrested in the ensuing crackdown. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as security forces dispersed crowds with live ammunition and tear gas.
“People were tired of pretending,” said one student activist from the University of Dar es Salaam, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We love our country, but we cannot be led by fear.”
President Samia, in her victory speech, called for calm and unity, urging citizens to “put politics aside and build the nation together.” Yet many Tanzanians say reconciliation will require accountability for the lives lost and a genuine effort to engage the country’s youth.
Political analysts warn that Tanzania now stands at a crossroads. Once hailed as a model of stability in East Africa, it faces growing internal pressure to modernize its governance and expand civic freedoms.
As the smoke clears from the streets and families bury their loved ones, one question lingers in the minds of many Tanzanians:
Can a leader truly win when she runs against herself — and loses the trust of her people?
