The National Electoral Commission of Tanzania has declared incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner of Wednesday’s presidential election with nearly 98% of the votes. Announcing the results on Saturday morning, the commission’s chairperson, Jacobs Mwambegele, stated:

“I hereby declare that Samia Suluhu Hassan, representing the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, has been elected President of the United Republic of Tanzania.”

According to the commission, President Samia received 31.9 million votes, representing 97.66%, in an election that recorded a high turnout of about 87% of the 37.6 million registered voters.

However, international observers expressed deep concern over what they described as a lack of transparency in the electoral process and reports of widespread violence. Unofficial sources indicate that hundreds of people were killed and many others injured during unrest across the country.

With the declaration, the 65-year-old leader is now set to serve a second five-year term as President of Tanzania.

Protests continued on Friday, led mostly by young people who denounced the election as rigged. The ruling CCM party  which has governed Tanzania for nearly five decades  was widely expected to win by a large margin.

Key opposition figures who were seen as serious challengers were prevented from running: one was imprisoned on treason charges that he denies, and another was disqualified over technical legal grounds.

Opposition parties have accused the government of undermining democracy, claims that the authorities strongly deny. Only 16 small political parties, none with significant public backing, were allowed to compete against CCM.

The election period was marked by violent demonstrations in several regions beginning on election day, Wednesday. The main opposition party, CHADEMA, alleged that around 700 people were killed in clashes with security forces, while a foreign diplomat stationed in Tanzania told UkweliTimes there was credible evidence that at least 500 people had died.

In Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region that elects its own president and government, CCM candidate and incumbent Hussein Mwinyi won re-election with about 80% of the vote.

President Samia first came to power in 2021, becoming Tanzania’s first female president, following the death of her predecessor John Magufuli, under whom she served as vice president.

Initially praised for relaxing political repression, Samia’s administration has since been accused of tightening control over the political space. Critics claim her government has increasingly targeted dissenters through arbitrary arrests and abductions.