Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a sweeping victory in the country’s presidential election, with official results released on Saturday showing she won 97.66 percent of the vote.
The result came after key opposition figures were either jailed or barred from contesting, sparking days of violent protests across the country.
The electoral commission announced the results on state television, adding that Hassan would be sworn in immediately.
Tanzania has been engulfed in unrest since election day on Wednesday, with the main opposition party, Chadema, claiming that security forces have killed hundreds of protesters.
The party was excluded from the election, and its leader is currently facing treason charges.
Hassan, who became president in 2021 following the death of former President John Magufuli, is believed to have sought a decisive victory to consolidate her authority amid tensions with powerful figures loyal to her predecessor.
Rights groups have accused her administration of overseeing a “wave of terror” ahead of the election, citing abductions, intimidation and the suppression of dissent. On election day, widespread protests led to a nationwide curfew, heavy military presence and an internet shutdown.
A Chadema spokesperson told AFP that “around 700” people had been killed, based on reports from hospitals and clinics, while both a security source and a foreign diplomat in Dar es Salaam also confirmed fatalities “in the hundreds.”
The government has denied using excessive force, but the nationwide communications blackout and movement restrictions have made independent verification difficult.
Media houses have been unable to update reports, and journalists face restrictions on their movements.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
