On November 3, 2025, as the Tanzanian sun rose over Dodoma’s military parade grounds, President Samia Suluhu Hassan took her oath of office for a second term. The ceremony, marked by a 21-gun salute and attended by an array of regional leaders, was anything but routine. Behind the pomp and circumstance, Tanzania was reeling from days of violent protests, a nationwide internet blackout, and a fiercely contested election that had left the country’s political future hanging in the balance.
According to the Associated Press, President Samia addressed the nation with a somber tone, expressing deep sorrow over the unrest that had swept major cities like Dar es Salaam and Arusha. "All of us who wish well for this country are saddened and grieved by the incidents of unrest, loss of lives, and destruction of public and private property in some areas of the country. What happened is not in line with the image and character of Tanzanians, and it is not Tanzanian. It did not surprise us to see that some of the youths who were arrested came from outside Tanzania. Our security and law enforcement agencies are continuing to closely monitor and investigate what happened to restore the country to the peaceful state we are accustomed to," she said.
Her remarks—delivered in both Swahili and English—struck a nerve not only within Tanzania but across the region. President Samia insisted that the unrest was not homegrown, but rather stoked by outsiders, and she called for urgent investigations into the disturbances. She directed national and regional security committees to restore normalcy immediately in the affected areas, emphasizing the need for unity, peace, and stability. "Now we must choose what benefits us, because the security of the nation is protected by everyone, through all means and at any cost," she added, warning those inciting violence to abandon unrest and embrace dialogue for the country's good.
But not everyone was convinced by her explanation. Just one day after her inauguration, Kenyan Member of Parliament James Gakuya, representing Embakasi North, publicly criticized President Samia’s stance in a televised interview. As reported by K24 Digital, Gakuya scoffed at the notion that foreigners were behind the protests, calling it "inhumane to dismiss citizens’ grievances by blaming neighbouring countries." He challenged, "How can you tell us people from Uganda or from the borders of Kenya to Tanzania are the ones protesting? You should put everything on the table and tell us how many Kenyans or Ugandans you found in those demonstrations so that you can call them outsiders."
Gakuya’s criticism didn’t stop there. He accused President Samia of showing "a total disregard for democracy and human life," and described the Tanzanian government as sliding dangerously toward dictatorship. "It is totally wrong to use the military to suppress citizens while claiming victory with 98 percent of the vote. That is not democracy, that is oppression," he said. Gakuya’s remarks reflected a growing unease among some East African leaders about the direction of Tanzania’s politics, especially after opposition leaders were barred from running and hundreds reportedly died in the aftermath of the disputed election.
The October 29 election had already been marred by controversy before the first ballots were cast. According to the Eastleigh Voice, the National Electoral Commission declared Samia the winner with 97 percent of the vote—a figure that opposition parties immediately rejected, alleging massive irregularities and intimidation. The main opposition party, CHADEMA, led by the detained Tundu Lissu, dismissed the election as a "sham" and demanded fresh polls under international supervision. The party claimed that around 700 people had died in just three days of protests, with clashes erupting in major urban centers.
Amnesty International and the East Africa Law Society were quick to condemn the government’s response, highlighting the internet blackout, curfews, and the brutal crackdown on protesters. The internet shutdown, which persisted during the swearing-in, left foreign journalists unable to report from the ground, further fueling suspicion and concern about the government’s transparency. Human rights groups also called on the Tanzanian government to account for Kenyans and other foreigners affected by the violence, as cross-border tensions simmered.
Regional leaders, including Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, and Mozambique President Daniel Chapo, were present at the tightly controlled inauguration. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki represented Kenyan President William Ruto, signaling the importance of Tanzania’s stability to its neighbors. But the event, broadcast live by the state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation, was closed to the public—another sign of the heightened security and underlying tension.
International observers also weighed in. According to K24 Digital, a regional African bloc found that the polls had "fallen short of its standards for democratic elections." The opposition’s claims of widespread irregularities, arrests of main challengers, and media blackouts only added to the sense of crisis. Gakuya warned that the Tanzanian experience was a "very bad lesson for East Africa," cautioning, "We should be borrowing elements of democracy, not dictatorship." He urged regional leaders to "stand firm in defending democratic values and to reject any attempts to silence dissent through fear or force."
President Samia, for her part, continued to frame her administration’s actions as necessary to preserve peace and order. She called upon all Tanzanians to prioritize unity and stability, asserting that the security of the nation must be protected at all costs. Yet her critics—inside and outside Tanzania—remained unconvinced, pointing to the heavy-handed tactics used to quell protests and the exclusion of opposition voices from the electoral process.
As the dust settles in Tanzania, the country faces profound questions about its democratic trajectory and its role in the wider East African community. The tension between calls for stability and demands for accountability is unlikely to dissipate soon. For now, Tanzanians and their neighbors are left to ponder the cost of peace when it comes at the expense of open dissent and the free expression of political will.
With the world watching, Tanzania stands at a crossroads—its next steps will not only shape its own future, but may also set a precedent for democracy and governance across the region.
