Chief Justice Ibrahim Juma administered the oath as Suluhu, 65, pledged to uphold the United Republic of Tanzania's constitution. Immediately afterward, a 21-gun salute echoed across the military grounds, a symbolic honor typically reserved for state funerals or high military ceremonies. "I, Samia Suluhu Hassan, swear that I will be faithful to the United Republic of Tanzania, and work for it wholeheartedly," she recited, her voice steady against the backdrop of armored vehicles and riot police patrolling Dodoma's streets.
The venue choice broke with decades of precedent, where inaugurations were held in open stadiums filled with cheering crowds. This time, no citizens waved flags; only invited leaders from Somalia, Zambia, Burundi, Mozambique, and vice presidents from Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Comoros witnessed the proceedings. Kenya's Deputy President Kithure Kindiki represented East Africa's neighbor, a subtle nod to regional ties amid growing isolation.
Suluhu's victory, announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on November 1, was overwhelming: 31.9 million votes, or 97.66% of the 32.7 million ballots cast, with an improbable 87% voter turnout among 37.6 million registered voters. The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, in power since independence in 1961, dominated every constituency. Yet, the election unfolded without genuine competition. INEC disqualified Chadema candidate Tundu Lissu on treason charges and ACT-Wazalendo's Luhaga Mpina for procedural violations, leaving Suluhu facing 16 minor candidates who barely campaigned.
In her post-oath address, Suluhu praised INEC's "unquestionable efficiency" and thanked observers from the African Union, UN, SADC, EAC, and even the International Court of Justice for deeming the process "free, fair, and credible." She urged calm: "As the presidents of Burundi and Zambia said, unrest in country brings no benefit. I am calling for peace, unity, and calm in our nation of Tanzania. Dialogue is what brings development." She attributed violence to "foreigners" among protesters, vowing investigations while ordering security forces to restore normalcy.
But international observers painted a darker picture. On Monday, the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM), led by former Malawian Speaker Richard Msowoya, issued a preliminary statement declaring the election "fell short of the requirements of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections." Deploying 80 observers across 27 regions, SEOM cited voter intimidation, opposition exclusions, media censorship, and internet shutdowns that hindered transparency. "In most areas, voters could not express their democratic will," Msowoya said, noting delays in accrediting observers and restricted stakeholder access.
The UN Human Rights Office reported "credible" accounts of at least 10 deaths in clashes across three cities, with injuries from live ammunition. Chadema, boycotting the poll after its April ban, alleged far worse: spokesperson John Kitoka claimed over 700 killed since October 29, including 350 in Dar es Salaam and 200 in Mwanza, based on hospital visits by party networks. Diplomatic sources and security insiders told reporters deaths were "in the hundreds," possibly thousands, though verification proved impossible amid the blackout.
Protests erupted on election day, October 29, as youth tore down CCM posters, vandalized polling stations, and clashed with police in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha, and Zanzibar. Demonstrators decried a "coronation, not contest," chanting for Lissu's release and electoral reforms. Security forces responded with tear gas, live rounds, and arrests; curfews blanketed cities, schools closed, and transport halted. The internet blackout, imposed pre-vote, severed social media and VPNs, isolating Tanzania from global scrutiny.
Chadema rejected the results as "completely fabricated," demanding fresh elections under international supervision. "No genuine election took place," the party stated on X, calling Suluhu's win a "sham." Leader Tundu Lissu, exiled and on trial, vowed no negotiation with a "dictator." Rights groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty documented pre-election abductions—over 200 since 2019—targeting opponents and journalists.
Suluhu, Tanzania's first female president, ascended in 2021 after John Magufuli's death. Early reforms—lifting rally bans, media freedoms, and COVID denials—earned "Mama Samia" praise. But analysts say hardliners pushed a repressive pivot: constitutional bars on challenging presidential results, INEC appointments by the president, and stifled courts eroded checks.
Regionally, the crisis tests SADC's credibility; its rare rebuke contrasts past deference. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed "deep concern," urging restraint. Western nations—Britain, Canada, Norway—condemned violence and called for dialogue.
As Dodoma's guns fell silent, Tanzania teetered. Suluhu's landslide masked fractures: youth unemployment, stifled dissent, and a democracy sliding toward one-party rule. "We will take all actions to ensure peace," she warned. Yet, with blackouts persisting and bodies uncounted, unity seemed distant. Observers warn unchecked repression risks economic fallout—investors flee instability, IMF ties strain.
In Dar es Salaam's shadowed alleys, whispers persist: "This is not Tanzanian." For a nation once East Africa's stable beacon, the inauguration heralded not renewal, but reckoning.
