Tanzania’s 2025 Election Erupts into Crisis as Opposition Is Silenced and Violence Spreads

The Tanzanian Election Crisis: What’s Happening and Why It Matters As the 2025 general election in Tanzania concluded on October 29, the nation slipped into its most severe post‑poll turmoil in decades. The official result declared Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner with an astonishing *97.66%* of the vote, based on over *31.9 million* ballots cast. Her main opposition candidates were barred from standing and the political climate leading up to the vote was marked by repression. The opposition party Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) challenged the outcome, arguing the polls lacked credibility and calling the process a “sham.” Protesters in cities like Dar es Salaam and Arusha took to the streets, rejecting the declared landslide. Security forces responded with force: tear gas, live ammunition and water cannons were reportedly used to disperse crowds. [